There’s nothing worse than accidentally stepping in dog dirt someone hasn’t scooped off the sidewalk–however, the poop-and-scoop by-laws in Saint John are currently almost unenforceable, with City Solicitor John Nugent stating that he can’t think of a time in which anyone has been successfully fined for breaking them.
Common Councillor Bill Farren statedl he’d like to see increased fines for people who don’t clean up after their pets–but Common Councillor Shirley McAlary points out the by-law is impossible to make work unless you station poop police on every park and street-corner.
Be that as it may, Farren says his next move will be to see if the Municipalities Act can be amended to allow more effective penalties for people caught violating poop and scoop laws.
