Pet owners in Revelstoke are voicing their confusion after the city reminded residents of bylaw 2178, which prohibits dog waste in residential garbage and requires owners bring it directly to the Revelstoke landfill.
Michael O’Farrell, a local pet parent, told Revelstoke Mountaineer he only learned about the dog waste bylaw through other dog owners.
“It’s definitely not common knowledge,” he said.
While other municipalities such as Coquitlum allow dog waste in residential garbage, Kenny Gipps, manager of development services explained that City of Revelstoke’s garbage collection trucks cannot process animal waste without smearing it within the compactor. Building up over time, the remaining waste becomes a scent issue during the summer and requires extensive staff hours to clean off.
“The bags explode,” he said.
“The material gets over everything, and that’s not pleasant for workers to be smelling and dealing with.”
It’s common, he added, for pet waste to be considered prohibited material.
Drop off locations, such as ones found on trails around Revelstoke could be expanded to allow for more residential use if there’s a community push for it, Gipps said. But it would come at an increased cost as city staff then transfer the waste to the Revelstoke landfill. Still, some dog owners want it considered.
“Even if it’s a central spot downtown, just so you’re not having to go to the dump for dog waste,” O’Farrell said.
Burying the waste in yard soil isn’t a viable solution either, with high nitrate levels often being detrimental to plants and ground water sources.
Other owners are frustrated with the lack of accessible public awareness about pet bylaws. Dog owner Alex Sosnkowski said that she wasn’t aware of the bylaw until receiving a notice regarding dog waste in her residential garbage a year or two after getting her dog.
“What I have never seen, however, is direction on how to dispose of it,” she said, adding that recent reporting finally shared the disposal spot at the Revelstoke landfill. “How many dog owners in town do you think make special trips out there with their dog poop bags?”
While city staff are working on increasing public information and engagement, some onus relies on residents, Gipps explained.
“There is an expectation of some awareness of members of the community. These are your bylaws,” he said, explaining that residents can reach out to city staff for clarification, check through the Municipal Ticket Information bylaw for bylaws that carry penalties and keep track of council meetings for the latest bylaw updates.
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