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
BREAKING | Notorious serial killer Paul Bernardo moved to medium-security prison in Quebec
Notorious serial rapist and killer Paul Bernardo was moved to a medium-security prison in Quebec this week.

Canada's 'unprecedented' fire season linked to climate change, will be the new normal: scientists
At the moment, wildfires are burning across six provinces and one territory in Canada — and they’re still spreading in what’s being called an unprecedented fire season. While firefighters work tirelessly to battle the merciless flames and prevent further destruction, scientists say the wildfires are linked to climate change and that this will be the new normal.
Trudeau raises Poland's democratic backsliding as prime minister visits Toronto
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he raised concerns about reports that LGBTQ2S+ rights and democracy are under threat in Poland during a Friday visit with its prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, in Toronto.
Air Canada says to expect further travel disruptions following Thursday's IT issues
Air Canada says travellers should be prepared for further flight disruptions as it works to return service to normal following a technical malfunction Thursday.
'Torch has been passed': What younger generations need to know about inheriting a family cottage
As more Canadians pass their family cottages down to the next generation, 'major shifts' in the ownership of recreational homes will occur, according to Re/Max. But amid concerns around the cost of housing, some may be wondering whether they can afford to keep that family cottage. Here's what younger generations need to know about inheriting a recreational property and the market today.
'Utterly disgusting': Canadian Army sergeant fined for 'anti-Jewish' comments
A 38-year-old sergeant in the Canadian Army was fined $3,000 and issued a severe reprimand after he made what a military judge described as 'utterly disgusting' anti-Jewish comments while conducting an infantry training course in 2021.
Poilievre tries to head off PPC vote as Bernier bets on social conservatives
Pierre Poilievre is off to Manitoba to rally Conservative supporters ahead of a byelection that Maxime Bernier is hoping will send him back to Parliament. The far-right People's Party of Canada leader lost his Quebec seat in the 2019 federal vote and lost again in the 2021 election.
Experts warn of 'rapid' growth of IBD as number of Canadians diagnosed set to reach 470K by 2035
The number of people in Canada with inflammatory bowel disease is increasing rapidly and is expected to grow to 470,000 by 2035, according to a new report from Crohn's and Colitis Canada.
Trudeau continues to stand by David Johnston despite calls that he step down
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he is committed to keeping David Johnston in place as Canada's special rapporteur on foreign interference, despite a majority of MPs voting in favour of his stepping down from the gig.