Researchers determine how much 'dog doo' is hiding in Calgary parks
In short - it's a lot.
Just under a kilogram per hectare per week is left behind in Calgary's 8,500 hectares of park lands - that's the find of a recently published study.
"When you translate it into the total mass in kilograms for six months, it can go up to let's say, about 1,400 kilograms in offleash parks," said study author Alessandro Massolo, a professor in the department of biology at the University of Pisa.
The field work was conducted by Massolo about a decade ago when he was teaching at University of Calgary's faculty of veterinary medicine.
He says the concern is for contamination of water and the possible spread of parasites.
"So all these potential pathogens, they can infect wildlife or other dogs or even people in some cases," Massolo said, but admits there haven't been any specific tests on the feces.
However, he praised the City of Calgary's pet ownership bylaws, saying that the solution comes from the city's roughly 130,000 dog owners themselves.
"There is also the social problem," Massolo said. "Think about that beautiful park, and you see a lot of, you know, fecal material on the ground. That is not the feces or kind of the feces of a deer. And this is a huge amount of unpicked dog fecal matter. And this is disturbing, because maybe I want to play with my kids to play football in there, or to do whatever I want to do.
"Well I can't, because it is contaminated."
He says the contamination can spread a common parasite that can, in rare cases, infect people. In 2017, there were just three cases of a condition that causes lesions on the liver.
Since then, there have been nearly two dozen more cases.
In order prevent the spread, dog owners are reminded to practice good hand hygiene, have their pets de-wormed regularly and, most importantly, always pick up after them.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
Disappointment widespread over budget's proposed $200-month disability benefit funding
Advocacy groups across Canada are expressing widespread disappointment about the amount of funding earmarked in the 2024 federal budget for the long-awaited Canada Disability Benefit.
BREAKING Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter banned from NBA
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been handed a lifetime ban from The National Basketball Association (NBA) following an investigation which found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, the league says.
Earthquake jolts southern Japan
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 hit southern Japan late on Wednesday, said the Japan Meteorological Agency, without issuing a tsunami warning.
ArriveCan contractor to be admonished by MPs in extraordinarily rare parliamentary display
Enacting an extraordinarily rarely used parliamentary power, MPs have summoned an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons on Wednesday afternoon to be admonished publicly for failing to answer their questions.
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
Gas prices across Ontario expected to climb to levels not seen since 2022, analyst says
Ontario is going to see a big jump at the pumps later this week as gas prices in the province hit levels not seen in nearly two years, according to one industry analyst.
Ancient skeletons unearthed in France reveal Mafia-style killings
More than 5,500 years ago, two women were tied up and probably buried alive in a ritual sacrifice, using a form of torture associated today with the Italian Mafia, according to an analysis of skeletons discovered at an archeological site in southwest France.
Paul McCartney and John Lennon’s sons have released a single together
A new Lennon and McCartney collaboration is the last thing anybody expected.