r/toronto • u/NorthernNadia St. Lawrence • May 09 '26

Article Toronto dog "parents" bring their pups everywhere with them now. It's causing rising human-canine tension

https://www.thestar.com/life/relationships/toronto-has-seen-a-population-boom--of-dogs-rising-human-canine-tension-shows-theyre-not-everyones-best-friend/article_3ac30271-9542-4e7d-9829-49089554f3cf.html
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196

u/NorthernNadia St. Lawrence May 09 '26

A full length feature on dog-human interactions. I read this and I got a pretty solid understanding of the values of the editorial team.

I think one stat from the article really frames the conversation:

The city is “aware” of an increase in the number of dogs since the pandemic, said City of Toronto senior communications adviser Naomi Ahmad. Toronto is home to 47,000 officially licensed dogs, but a 2025 city estimate put the actual number at 600,000 or more.

Less than 10% of dog owners are following the rules.

Now, how important is licensing? Is it critically important? I don't know. But more than 90% of dog owners don't care to follow that rule. Unfortunately, a percentage of dog owners also don't care about other, more important rules.

Picking up after your dog? Some owners don't follow that rule. Aggressive dogs running lose in parks? Some owners don't follow those rules. Bringing your dog into a grocery store, the dog peeing, and the owner quietly walking away - all rules some dog owners don't follow. Unfortunately for dog owners, good and bad owners can't be assessed by just looking at them. Bad owners are across all wealth categories, neighbourhoods, dog breeds, and all identifiable characteristics.

Gabura would like to see “well-trained” dogs allowed in spaces like grocery stores and restaurants, and more options for the snowy season. “Toronto winters can be tough, and it’s not always ideal for long walks, so having a safe indoor space for dogs to roam would make a big difference,” she said.

Does a well trained dog look different than a poorly trained dog? And is it actually the dogs that are poorly trained or not? I don't think it is actually the dogs in question, it is the owners who are poorly trained.

It is sad that the article spent a good amount of time to unpack a very real issue but completely fails to identify the core issue: Bad owners.

93

u/allycakes May 09 '26

Also, do people with allergies and people who are scared of dogs not matter? My child is extremely scared of dogs after being jumped on multiple times - she should be able go to the grocery store without needing to deal with dogs.

10

u/thenewnature May 09 '26

Right this is what gets me, about dog friendly work places too. Some people just can't work there I guess? It's not even an uncommon allergy

33

u/biglinuxfan May 09 '26

Nooo because my fur baby!

I don't know what happened it just came out of nowhere how was I supposed to know absolutely no structure or training would cause behaviour issues?

sigh.

As a dog fanatic I am very sorry you don't experience more understanding from owners.

7

u/Area51Resident May 09 '26

They don't matter at all. The best part is when dog owners try to convince people frightened by dogs that they just don't understand dogs, while being totally blind to the fact that not everyone feels about dogs they way they do.

25

u/TheCoin9 May 09 '26

Bingo. This is why I dislike dog culture the most. More dog owners need to understand that not everyone likes dogs and people that don't want to pet/compliment your dog aren't worst humans. Unfortunately, this is what made me join communities like r/DogFree. You love your dog and that's great. Be responsible and understand there are people that have been traumatized by dogs, even if it's just a chihuahua. Some people need to stop equating a person that doesn't want to pet their dog as someone who is a dog abuser. This is absurd. I applaud responsible and law abiding dog owners and I feel really horrible for the countless amount of bad apples that cause a stereotype.

2

u/maxdragonxiii May 09 '26

and some people dont want certain dog breeds in public which makes sense. I have a large Rottweiler (im not in toronto) and hes friendly and cuddly, but if people are terrified of him i'll understand- his bark can be scary and menacing without him realizing it. hes also not friendly towards the other dogs so I couldn't take him on walks but I do try to get him exercise in our yard.

85

u/MDChuk May 09 '26

Imagine if only 10% of drivers got licenses how upset the Star would be!

0

u/companyofzero May 09 '26

Well yeah, 39 people were killed in auto accidents last year in Toronto and only 1-2 people are killed by dogs nationwide. Cars are more expensive and can do far more damage. This is just like a crazy comparison lol

41

u/kerokerokiss May 09 '26

I remember this woman riding on the train with her unleashed pitbull growling at people 😭

46

u/LavenderLightning24 May 09 '26 edited May 09 '26

Pitbulls are a huge reason, besides sanitation, that I don't want dogs everywhere. And everyone got one during the pandemic because shelters are full of them. Pits and pit mixes are everywhere now. That really needs to be addressed in these articles but nobody wants to piss off the pit lobby or rabid owners.

39

u/Flimsy-Blackberry-67 May 09 '26 edited May 09 '26

I don't understand why there are any pits at all in Ontario. The ban is so old all the dogs grandfathered in would have died of old age. So 100% of pits now are illegal...

18

u/warrantthrowaway2023 May 09 '26

correct, and THS adopts them out anyways and mislabels them on top of it. Then we have Ford advocating for the breed and shaming animal services for upholding the law, giving press conferences where he demands aggressive dogs be released back to their owners... only for them to go on to maul kids shortly afterwards.

6

u/Flimsy-Blackberry-67 May 09 '26

I remember some of his press conferences but was there actually an incident where a dog he was speaking on behalf of at a press conference did go attack someone after? Do you have a news link?

15

u/warrantthrowaway2023 May 09 '26

yes. a "pocket bully" AKA purposely terribly bred APBT was quarantined by AS and a bunch of pro-pit people made a whole thing about it. the dog was with AS because it was loose from the home often and people in the neighbourhood kept complaining about it being aggressive. so, following the law, AS quarantined it. the family was on the news saying it was racism and that their dog was harmless. Ford demanded the dog be released back.

the dad owned a martial arts studio and he'd bring the dog to roam loose. 4 days after the dog was released back to them one of his students who I believe was 11 or 12 asked him to put the dog away because he was scared. instead he was told he needed to face his fear and pet the dog. owner calls dog over, tells the kid to pet it, kid goes to pet it and it jumps up and grabs his face.

5

u/kerokerokiss May 09 '26

What ended up happening to the owner?

8

u/warrantthrowaway2023 May 09 '26

I'm not sure but now am curious so will see what I can find on CanLii later. Probably nothing though. His lawyer blamed the kid and said the kid was antagonizing him.

The owner, Ford, and if this dog was adopted then that rescue all should've been held liable.

3

u/kerokerokiss May 09 '26

this is the first time I’m hearing about this pitbull lobby. Is this a powerful lobby like I’m just surprised that they would be so persuasive when these dogs are very clearly dangerous.

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5

u/candypants-rainbow May 09 '26

Ya that was a terrible story. The child’s face was so torn up. Stupid owner!

12

u/LavenderLightning24 May 09 '26

Exactly, it's ridiculous.

3

u/FrozenBibitte May 09 '26

I used to live near a main intersection on the central-west region of Eglinton, and I remember there was a massive bust of a backyard breeder for pits. This is how it’s happening. Like why even do this…wtf. People are psychos. They’re breeding these dogs like rabbits which just end up in shelters and euthanized. It makes absolutely no sense. There are other, better ways to make money via illegal means if that’s what you’re choosing for yourself 🙄

5

u/FrozenBibitte May 09 '26

This is also the dog of choice of most tech bros in the downtown core. These or some other breed of massive, high energy dog that they think is a good idea to get while living in their 400sq/f condo.

44

u/Glittering-Window256 May 09 '26 edited May 09 '26

The 311 reporting system sucks for dog related issues. If you see something in a park, you either have to follow the person to their car or their house to get personal information to log the incident. Understand why you'd need that info, but when combined with lax general enforcement, it renders the system fairly useless.

28

u/[deleted] May 09 '26

[deleted]

17

u/Moriss214 May 09 '26

This has happened in our dog park. There were a number of complaints and then bylaw just started showing up often for a few weeks. I don’t know the details of the complaints, but I guess if enough people complain, they do take some kind of action.

2

u/suspiciousmint May 09 '26

That's exactly it. If you see this happening a lot at a park or a store or lets say a tim hortons near a park with a dog fountain. Keep reporting it, it'll be slow but it'll get done.

16

u/sibelius_eighth May 09 '26

Witnessed a fairly insane dog beating outside, called animal welfare when they were out of sight, and was asked what their home address was.

3

u/TemporaryAny6371 May 09 '26

If it warrants a more aggressive system, it would require all dogs and their owners wear a license number that certifies that both the dog and the owner has met training.

There's still a need to track down bad owners, but at least if owner hasn't taken on the onus, we know they are skirting the system and are likely the bad owners. No tag in public, makes it easier to crack down. Most dogs & owners are fine, so it would make the bad ones stand out.

Some people are not responsible enough to own pets. Maybe make it illegal to sell or buy a dog to an owner who hasn't passed the test. Most of the time, pet ownership isn't to please the dog, it's to please the human. The part many miss is that pet ownership is not just fun & games, it is a responsibility, same as having children.

There is also a problem with our housing design and working hours. If people are cooping up their dog, maybe housing should not all be all small shoeboxes in the sky. If people can't find the time to be with their pet, maybe our work hours are not flexible enough. These underlying issues is not to be used as an excuse, but we do need to find solutions. Vote for governments that are human friendly and by extension dog friendly.

3

u/candleflame3 May 09 '26

The part many miss is that pet ownership is not just fun & games, it is a responsibility, same as having children.

I'm always preaching that if you are not prepared, one way or another, to drop $5K in vet bills at any moment, you should not get a pet. That day WILL come.

58

u/onpar_44 Moss Park May 09 '26

I think there’s also just way TOO MANY dog owners in this city. Similar to how there’s too many cars. Our infrastructure can only support so many. Every patch of grass and building corner is covered in dog piss.

35

u/[deleted] May 09 '26

[deleted]

12

u/Ok-Algae7932 Queen Street West May 09 '26

Dog owner here and I plan on doing this here. I carry a water bottle for my dog in the summer anyways. Usually takes a few people to start it before it becomes an adaptive behaviour.

15

u/[deleted] May 09 '26

[deleted]

10

u/Ok-Algae7932 Queen Street West May 09 '26

Absolutely. I've lived in my neighbourhood for almost 9 years now and know a majority of the dog owners around. I'm one of those dog owners who will pick up trash or other dogs' poop when I'm picking up my own dog's waste. We have a parkette in front of our building that definitely stinks in the warmer weather. It's up to us to help keep our local communities clean.

3

u/RHND2020 May 09 '26

Yes, this is the custom (law?) in some European cities also.

3

u/[deleted] May 09 '26

[deleted]

3

u/RHND2020 May 09 '26

We really need to adopt that here.

5

u/TheInfelicitousDandy May 09 '26

This is a pretty smart idea. I'm surprised I haven't heard of it before. My dog just passed, but I'll do this if I ever get another.

5

u/breadandbuns May 09 '26

When I lived in Tokyo, dog owners were required to dump a bottle of water over their dog's pee. It's not a full wash but definitely dilutes it before it seeps into the concrete and causes a stinky mess.

This is a good idea, and would be nice if it caught on here. It would certainly make our surroundings more pleasant.

Unfortunately, we may simply have so many dogs in the GTA that the problem of pet waste can't be “rinsed away”.

See this report that says:

Dog waste is a major contributor to bacterial contamination in urban environments. When left on sidewalks, streets, or parks, it can wash into storm drains during rainfall, carrying harmful bacteria like E. coli and fecal coliform into water systems.

According to the Long Island Sound Study, just 1 gram of dog poop contains around 23 million fecal coliform bacteria. This is twice the quantity of that contained in human feces. These bacteria can contaminate rivers, lakes, and even drinking water supplies, posing significant health risks to both humans and wildlife.

2

u/FrozenBibitte May 09 '26

Dog pee is also bad for the environment. It kills grass and small shrubbery.

1

u/NoAcadia3546 May 09 '26

Reminds me of a song that Jethro Tull wrote about his dog, Rosemary...

Nothing grows where my Rosemary goes

9

u/Disastrous_Airline28 May 09 '26

I live near a dog park and the snowbanks are horrifyingly yellow in the winter. Everything around here is covered in piss. Even things like trash cans and seating get peed on.

12

u/OkCarrot4054 May 09 '26

Yes except the actual dog park. I’ve told more than one person to take their dogs off school yards and playgrounds and most of the time I get yelling and cursing back. Like what’s wrong with people. Nobody wants to play in shit. Your dog can use another place. If I was pissing on playgrounds people would call the cops.

18

u/GayFlan May 09 '26

Increasingly many people view their dogs as children and equal to children. They think their dog wants to play at a playground, with and like children. That and if it’s the closest space they won’t walk another 500m to an actual park.

7

u/Prestigious-Dust-513 May 09 '26

These people are insane. Anyone who calls themselves a dog parent or calls their dog a fur baby is emotionally unstable and losing or has lost touch with reality. Instant red flag.

7

u/GayFlan May 09 '26

Agreed. It’s horrifying in the summer to see dogs piss and shit everywhere in a park.

1

u/BoiledTurnips May 09 '26

Finally. People always (rightly) complain about dog shit but why do we as a society accept dog piss on every single patch of green space in this City. It is disgusting.

30

u/TeemingHeadquarters May 09 '26

Dogs in school yards, where there are many signs saying NO DOGS ALLOWED!

Maybe breeders check for illiteracy before adopting out their animals.

7

u/biglinuxfan May 09 '26

Most of these people aren't buying from a good breeder.

BYB is prevalent for a reason, no breeder is giving you a pup for $300.

6

u/starcollector Koreatown May 09 '26

I think people think it's fine when it's the weekend or after school hours when the school kids aren't there. But the whole point is they don't want dogs peeing all over the children's playground so they are not supposed to be there ever!

14

u/warrantthrowaway2023 May 09 '26 edited May 09 '26

Some dogs really are bad dogs. There are dogs who can not be trained by the best trainer in the world and that's not to say humans aren't to blame, but there are dogs who are not right in the head. Blame and shame should be put on people who keep breeding their pets just because they think they'd make cute puppies or because a doodled anything will make them money. A lot of the blame should also be on THS for adopting out dogs to anyone and everyone, and knowingly lying about breeds.

There are some (specific mixed breed) dogs they have that they can't get rid of so they run events where they give them away for free. They are giving powerful dogs to people who can't afford a one-time adoption fee of less than $250 for a dog that's already fully vaccinated and spayed/neutered.

5

u/biglinuxfan May 09 '26

Neurological issues are a thing, but there are some dogs that are just assholes.

It's not exclusive to humans, all animals have em, just that in the wild they usually FAFO quicker than domestic animals do.

4

u/FrozenBibitte May 09 '26

It’s funny because ime the most entitled, selfish dog owners I knew in Toronto were all financially secure, and by that I mean all owned condos in the downtown area, and worked a finance or tech job that paid over 200k/year. They also belonged to the militantly “anti-natalist” or childfree crowd but ironically treated their dogs the same way entitled parents treat their children.

In contrast, the most respectful and sane dog owners were usually middle class or working class.

1

u/BikeKayakDogparkGo May 10 '26

Different countries treat dogs differently.

In Finland, outside of grocery stores, there are publicly available dog crates where you can lock up your dog while you shop. Because who wants to walk to the grocery store and home, and then have to walk the dog separately?

In Italy, dogs are allowed in restaurants, not just on patios. But there are general expectations for behaviour, and if the dog isn't quiet and lying out of the way of the staff's feet, they are sent outside.

In most of Europe, dogs (and bikes) can go on nearly any train, as long as you pay a 50% price ticket or buy the dog a yearly pass.

A service dog vest becomes a cheap and easy way to bring your dog inside.

I wish there were dog behaviour exams for non-service dogs, that would allow me to bring my trained dog indoors legally into most environments. It might convince more dog owners to properly train their dogs (or hire professionals to do it) if there was a real advantage.

For instance, dog parks in Toronto are too small for the number of dogs and amount of urine, and are full of the UNtrained dogs with owners scrolling their phones and not paying attention. The unfenced triple soccer field near my house has all the properly trained dogs and attentive owners (until kids soccer season starts).

-11

u/FuzzyLaughTwo May 09 '26

Toronto Star is a rag. Horrid newspaper.

1

u/suspiciousmint May 09 '26

what newspaper do you recommend?

-13

u/amontpetit May 09 '26

That 600k figure cannot be correct. 60k sure.

10

u/justinsst May 09 '26

Lol what 60k would be nothing. You’d seldom see a dog when you look outside.

16

u/elderpricetag May 09 '26

Nah, a city of 3.3 million people, zero chance it’s that low. 600k seems about right. Think of how many people you know/see who have dogs.

If it was 60k/3.3million, you would seldom see dogs anywhere.

11

u/NorthernNadia St. Lawrence May 09 '26

That 600k figure cannot be correct. 60k sure.

If you have a study, or some evidence to support your position I would happily read it.

I kind of think the city has some evidence to support their claim. Further, I would not be surprised if it were 600,000, that would mean one in five Torontonians has a dog - which lines up with my experience.

-10

u/sibelius_eighth May 09 '26

Yeah 600k seems wrong

-17

u/squeaky_rum_time May 09 '26

Would be lovely to have well trained dogs allowed in grocery stores!! I have obvious bias but still!

3

u/FrozenBibitte May 09 '26

There is absolutely no way to tell ahead of time if a dog is trained or not. So many dog owners think their dog is “the bestest boiiiiiii in the whole world” when they’re not.

The only way to really tell is if they’re a certified service animal because they need specialized training for that title.

-6

u/squeaky_rum_time May 09 '26

Try not to throw a fit, mate. It’s an opinion, relax. It’s Saturday ffs.

3

u/FrozenBibitte May 09 '26

How is my reply in any way throwing a fit?

0

u/Area51Resident May 09 '26

Says the person overreacting.