Brisbane dog owners told to BYO pet poo bags as city faces shortage

When it comes to dog waste collection bags, Brisbane owner Hugh Bristow says he is a "bring my own kind of guy".

But residents who rely on council-supplied bags could find themselves in a stinky situation as the city experiences a shortage.

"I've always done that because I don't know what's going to happen on the way to the park, never mind what happens in the park," Mr Bristow said while at Morningside's Keralgerie Park.

The city's 150-plus off-leash dog areas would usually go through tens of thousands of the bags a week, but supply issues related to an ongoing industrial dispute at the Port Botany wharf in New South Wales has left dispensers empty for weeks.

Brisbane City Council chair of City Standards, Community Health and Safety Committee, Kim Marx, said almost $500,000 was spent on stocking and replenishing the bags each year.

"We use 60,000 dog poo bags each week," Cr Marx said.

"It's a lot of money.

'They will just take rolls and rolls'

As the owner of a Norwegian ridgeback and a German shorthaired pointer, Russell Hopkins does not take any risks on walks or trips to the dog park.

"I have seen that there's no bags in the park for the last few weeks, but I always bring my own from home because you never know if you're going to get caught short one day," he said.

Not everyone has taken the same approach, and Cr Marx said some pet owners abused the service when it was available.

"We've had the unfortunate situation where instead of someone just taking one bag … they will just take rolls and rolls of them," Cr Marx said.

"We've seen people take 20, 30 at a time and that's why we go through so much stock."

In Brisbane, dog owners must carry two bags when out with their dogs, and if they are caught without them they could face a $63 fine.

Someone caught not picking up after their dog could face a $252 fine.

"It's about getting people to do the right thing," Cr Marx said.

Taylor Marsh, who prefers to bring biodegradable bags, said while the fines were "a bit steep" they helped to get the message across to owners.

Ms Marsh said while she had not noticed more dog waste on footpaths, her local dog park was not as clean as as usual.

"I don't think it's right to leave dog excrement out and about," she said.

If a council fine does not deter dog owners, community pressure might.

Ms Marsh said in the past she had been stopped by strangers and asked whether she had a dog waste bag to clean up after her golden retriever.

"I think they are checking to make sure you're going to pick it up and not walk away," she said.

The council said dispensers would be restocked as soon as possible.