Dog Waste and Garbage Rules in Sapporo: What Dog Owners Should Know
Contents
- The rules at a glance
- Before the walk: let your dog go at home
- On the walk: pick up the poop
- At home: how to throw it away
- Leash rules in public places
- Rules for dogs in Sapporo’s parks
- A short checklist
- FAQ
- Do I have to pick up my dog’s poop in Sapporo?
- How do I throw away dog poop at home in Sapporo?
- Can I let my dog off the leash in a Sapporo park?
In short: in Sapporo, two city ordinances say you must deal with your dog’s poop on walks. The city’s litter ordinance says a person walking a dog in a public place “must” collect the poop, and the city’s animal welfare ordinance says to dispose of it promptly when you take your dog off your property. At home, the city’s garbage dictionary lists pet poop as burnable garbage (燃やせるごみ), with a note to double-bag it or otherwise keep it from scattering. Burnable garbage goes in the city’s paid designated bags and out to your garbage station by 8:30 a.m. on collection day. The city also asks owners to let their dog relieve itself at home before a walk, and it says keeping a dog off-leash or on a leash longer than 2 meters in public places is banned by ordinance. In parks, the city asks you to keep your dog on a leash and take the poop home.
Picking up after your dog is basic manners everywhere in Japan, but the details of where the bag goes and which rules apply are local. This post sums up what the City of Sapporo’s own pages say, in plain English.
Please read this first: this post is a plain-English summary of official City of Sapporo pages. It is not about my own dog, and it is not legal advice. Rules can change. The city’s garbage dictionary itself says the right category can differ depending on the actual item, and it tells residents to ask the cleaning office (清掃事務所) for their ward. Please check the city’s current guidance and your ward office or ward cleaning office before you rely on anything here. The details below are given as the city’s pages stated them when I checked on October 8, 2026.
The rules at a glance
| Situation | What the City of Sapporo says | Where the city says it |
|---|---|---|
| Before a walk | Let your dog relieve itself at home. Diapers or a “manner belt” can also help | Animal welfare ordinance; city leaflet for dog owners |
| Your dog poops in a public place | Collect it and take it home | Litter ordinance, Article 10; animal welfare ordinance; city leaflet for dog owners |
| Disposing of poop at home | Burnable garbage, double-bagged or otherwise kept from scattering | City garbage dictionary (資源とごみの分別辞典) |
| Leash in public places | Off-leash or a leash over 2 meters is banned by ordinance | City poster and leaflet (citing the animal welfare ordinance) |
| Parks | Keep your dog on a leash and take the poop home | City page on using parks |
Before the walk: let your dog go at home
The city’s animal welfare ordinance (札幌市動物の愛護及び管理に関する条例) lists duties for dog owners. When you take your dog outside your property, the city’s summary says owners should try to let the dog relieve itself before going out, and must dispose of the dog’s poop promptly.
The city’s leaflet for dog owners puts it simply: don’t let your dog relieve itself on other people’s land or in public places, and finish it at home. If your dog does go outside, the leaflet says to take the poop home, and it adds that putting a diaper or a manner belt on your dog is also effective.
The city’s page on keeping pets also asks owners not to let their animals’ poop, urine, or hair harm the neighborhood or dirty public places. The pages I checked did not give a specific method for cleaning up urine, so if you are unsure what is expected where you live, ask your ward office.
On the walk: pick up the poop
Two Sapporo ordinances cover dog poop in public.
| Litter ordinance (ポイ捨て等防止条例) | Animal welfare ordinance (動物の愛護及び管理に関する条例) | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | 札幌市たばこの吸い殻及び空き缶等の散乱の防止等に関する条例 (2004, Ordinance No. 44) | 札幌市動物の愛護及び管理に関する条例 (in force from October 1, 2016) |
| What it says about poop | A person walking a dog in a public place “must” collect the poop when the dog poops (Article 10) | When you take your dog off your property, dispose of its poop promptly. Owners must also dispose of animal waste properly so it doesn’t dirty roads, parks, other public places, or other people’s land |
| Where it applies | Public places: roads, parks, squares, rivers, and other outdoor places for public use | Taking a dog off the owner’s property |
| Penalty the city lists | A non-criminal fine (過料). The ordinance text (Articles 18 and 19, which cover Article 10) sets a maximum of 30,000 yen in designated priority areas and 20,000 yen elsewhere | A criminal fine (罰金) of up to 50,000 yen for not promptly disposing of poop when out with your dog |
The city’s overview page also mentions patrol officers who mainly work around the smoking-restricted zones; that page does not say how the rule on dog poop is enforced, so ask your ward office if you have questions.
For a busy walk, carry enough bags, plus something to hold a used bag until you get home. My post Leash Walking Manners in a Busy City: Habits for Small Dogs has more habits for crowded sidewalks.
At home: how to throw it away
The City of Sapporo’s garbage guide includes a sorting dictionary, 資源とごみの分別辞典, with about 850 common household items. Here is what it lists for pet items.
| Item in the dictionary | Category | Note in the dictionary |
|---|---|---|
| Pet poop (ペットの糞) | Burnable garbage (燃やせるごみ), paid | Double the bag or take other steps so it doesn’t scatter |
| Pet toilet sheets (ペットのトイレシート) | Burnable garbage, paid | — |
| Pet toilet litter (ペットのトイレ砂) | Burnable garbage, paid | — |
“Paid” means the item goes in the city’s designated garbage bags, which you buy. The city’s pages on burnable garbage say:
- Use a designated bag. Burnable garbage must go in a designated garbage bag (指定ごみ袋).
- Put it out by 8:30 a.m. Take it to your garbage station by 8:30 a.m. on the morning of collection day.
- Twice a week. The city lists burnable garbage collection as twice a week.
The dictionary also says that its categories are based on the general shape and size of each item, so the right category can differ for the actual item, and that you should ask the cleaning office for your ward for details. Your collection days depend on where you live, so check your ward’s schedule or the city’s garbage sorting app.
Leash rules in public places
The animal welfare ordinance says dogs must always be kept secured: tied with a strong rope or chain, held on a leash, or kept inside a house, fence, or cage so they can’t run off. When you walk a dog, someone who can control the dog must watch it at all times.
The city’s poster on this rule says that keeping a dog off-leash or on a long leash (over 2 meters) in public places is banned by ordinance, and that a violation can bring a criminal fine (罰金) of up to 200,000 yen. The city’s leaflet for dog owners also says to walk your dog on a leash of 2 meters or less, with a person who can control the dog.
My post Living with a Dog in Japan: Basic Rules and Manners covers registration, rabies shots, and other everyday rules.
Rules for dogs in Sapporo’s parks
The city’s page on using parks lists manners for everyone. For dogs, it says: when you walk your dog, keep it on a leash (つな, リード) and take the poop home, and it points to the animal welfare ordinance. The same page asks people to take their trash home in parks without trash cans. Chuo Ward’s page on parks also asks owners to walk pets on a leash.
Some large parks have their own management offices. If you plan to visit a specific park, check that park’s own information.
A short checklist
| Before you go out | Why |
|---|---|
| Let your dog relieve itself at home | The animal welfare ordinance and the city’s leaflet ask owners to do this |
| Pack bags, and something to carry a used bag home | Both ordinances require you to deal with the poop |
| Use a leash of 2 meters or less | Off-leash or a leash over 2 meters in public places is banned by ordinance |
| At home, bag the poop so it can’t scatter (for example, double-bag it) as burnable garbage | The city’s garbage dictionary lists pet poop as burnable garbage |
| Check your ward’s collection days | Burnable garbage goes out by 8:30 a.m. on collection day |
Let your dog go at home, pick up every time you’re out, and bag the poop well for burnable garbage day. Rules and garbage details can change, so check the City of Sapporo’s current pages and your ward office.
FAQ
Do I have to pick up my dog’s poop in Sapporo?
Yes. Sapporo’s litter ordinance says a person walking a dog in a public place must collect the poop, and the animal welfare ordinance says to dispose of it promptly when you take your dog off your property. The litter ordinance sets a non-criminal fine (過料) of up to 20,000 yen (30,000 yen in priority areas), and the animal welfare ordinance lists a criminal fine (罰金) of up to 50,000 yen. Check the city’s current rules and your ward office for details.
How do I throw away dog poop at home in Sapporo?
The city’s garbage dictionary lists pet poop as burnable garbage, with a note to double the bag or otherwise keep it from scattering. Burnable garbage goes in a designated bag to your garbage station by 8:30 a.m. on collection day. The dictionary says the category can differ for the actual item, so ask your ward’s cleaning office if you are unsure.
Can I let my dog off the leash in a Sapporo park?
Not in general. The city says keeping a dog off-leash or on a leash longer than 2 meters in public places is banned by ordinance, and its page on using parks asks you to keep your dog on a leash and take the poop home. If a park has a designated dog run, check that park’s own rules.
Sources checked: City of Sapporo, ポイ捨て等防止条例 (litter ordinance overview) (Japanese), City of Sapporo, ポイ捨て等防止条例条文 (litter ordinance text) (Japanese), City of Sapporo, 札幌市動物の愛護及び管理に関する条例の制定について (animal welfare ordinance) (Japanese), City of Sapporo, ペットの飼い方と飼育マナーについて (keeping pets and owner manners) (Japanese), City of Sapporo, 犬・猫の飼い主の皆さんへ (leaflet for dog and cat owners, PDF) (Japanese), City of Sapporo, 「うちの子は大丈夫」と、思っていませんか？ (leash poster, PDF) (Japanese), City of Sapporo, ごみ分けガイド, 資源とごみの分別辞典 pp. 43–54 (PDF) (Japanese), City of Sapporo, 燃やせるごみ (burnable garbage) (Japanese), City of Sapporo, ごみステーションに出すごみ (garbage for garbage stations) (Japanese), City of Sapporo, 公園の利用について (using parks) (Japanese), Chuo Ward, City of Sapporo, 公園・緑地と街路樹 (parks and street trees) (Japanese). Checked on October 8, 2026. Rules can change, so please check the City of Sapporo’s current guidance and your ward office.
