Dog owners protest proposed leash requirements in Saanich, B.C., parks
The District of Saanich will vote on the proposed changes Monday evening
A coalition of dog owners on Vancouver Island say a proposed plan to drastically reduce off-leash areas in Saanich parks is barking up the wrong tree.
Currently, under-control dogs are allowed to be off-leash by default in most of the district's 172 parks and several beaches.
But proposed bylaw changes would require dogs to be on-leash in 104 of them, except in 57 parks with designated leash-optional areas — including 12 with permanent fenced-in off-leash areas — and at Cordova Bay Beach.
If approved by the District of Saanich Council on Monday evening, the plan will mandate leashes in about 84 per cent of park space in Saanich, and 93 per cent of trails in the popular Mount Douglas Park.
Coun. Judy Brownoff, who chairs the committee responsible for the proposed People, Pets & Parks plan, says the changes are intended to ensure parks are safe and accessible for everyone.
Some people are fearful of dogs approaching them, while dog droppings left behind in off-leash areas create hazards for delicate ecosystems, park staff and public safety, Brownoff told CBC's All Points West.
"There's no one who is anti-dog out there," Brownoff told CBC's All Points West in May. "It really is about trying to balance our natural areas and people who walk in the parks and dog owners."
Brownoff did not return a CBC request for an updated comment by publication time.
The proposed plan, which also includes improved amenities for dog owners and better signage and waste management, is estimated to cost up to $7.1 million over the next five years.
But it has garnered fierce opposition from some dog owners, who have organized protests outside council chambers during the consultation process and started a petition online that has gained more than 8,000 signatures.
Saanich resident Eulala Mills, who started the petition, says the plan to improve park infrastructure has good bones, but the changes to leashing rules aren't fair to Saanich's estimated 15,000 to 22,000 dogs and their owners.
"They have swung the pendulum wildly from one direction to the other around the leashing requirements," Mills told CBC's All Points West, saying she and others don't feel their concerns have been heard.
"It doesn't feel fair or balanced."
Only about 16 per cent of park space would remain leash-optional, Mills said, making it difficult for dog owners like herself who rely on wide open spaces and long trails to ensure their dogs get enough exercise.
Mills added that many spaces already exist where dogs are not allowed or are required to be on leash for people who want to avoid off-leash dogs.
Responsibility over dogs is paramount: dog walker
But not all dog-lovers are so opposed to the plan.
Tovay Helgesen, owner of Saanich-based Love the Leash dog-walking service, says leashes are an important safety tool for both people and dogs who may not have good recall, be reactive or could run away if spooked.
She says she tends to avoid off-leash parks with her clients due to the uncertainty of how an unleashed dog might behave.
"Even last week I was cursed out for catching somebody's off-leash dog when it was running towards one of my clients to stop them from coming into contact," said Helgesen. "Dogs bring out the worst in people a lot of the time."
She says there should be more designated off-leash areas for dogs, but that owners need to ensure they are responsible and in control of their dog before enjoying them.
"There are plenty of dogs who are off-leash who are under fantastic control and their owners are very responsible. But enough of them aren't, that it makes the whole thing unsustainable," said Helgesen.
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With files from CBC's All Points West