The only thing Atul Ranade knows is that it's a very big dog.

For nearly a month, an unknown pooch has left piles of poop in front of his Rutherford home in southwest Edmonton.

"Very nasty," Ranade said. "As if I'm not living in a civilized society."

After finding a particularly offensive heap underneath his apple tree, Ranade said he complained to the city by email.

A 311 agent responded with a detailed questionnaire about the dog defecation situation.

The city posed more than 20 questions, asking for the dog's breed, home address and the dog owner's licence plate number.

When Ranade was unable to complete the questionnaire, he said the 311 agent told him the city could not enforce his complaint.

"That is absurd," Ranade said. "You collect tax on everything, without giving the service? That is really unacceptable."

In an effort to flush out the perpetrator pooping on his property, Ranade installed two security cameras and multiple warning signs last week.

"I have to do something to give them the proof and that's why I put up the camera and the notices," he said.

Since posting signs about the cameras, Ranade said the pooping has ceased. But he's still unhappy with the city.

"We have so many ways to figure out who is responsible, so cities should use them but it does not look like the city people are trying to do their job honestly," Ranade said.

"Why not pack it and take it to your home? Then you will feel what I am feeling."

City staff could have distributed letters to registered dog owners in the neighbourhood to remind them of pet bylaws, Ranade said.

Sgt. Tania Jacknisky, a peace officer with animal control, said the questionnaire is a witness statement form to help officers find offenders.

"We're just asking for as much detail [as possible] so we can deal with the offender on a one-to-one," Jacknisky said.

"If he absolutely doesn't have any information, but he has seen a lot of accumulated defecation on his property, what we can do is create a special complaint."

Special complaints are used to deal with loose dogs who can't be linked to an owner, she said. When a special complaint is filed, peace officers randomly patrol the affected neighbourhood.

Edmonton imposes a $100 fine for dog owners who don't scoop their pooch's poop.