Collingwood council is tugging at the leash of pet owners, hoping to correct some bad behaviour.
At their regular meeting on Sept. 23, council voted unanimously in favour of requesting staff consider options for increased education, trail patrols and/or increased fines to encourage residents to keep their dogs on-leash at all times, and to gather input on the matter from the town’s trails and active transportation advisory committee.
“My observation is there are more and more off-leash dogs around our community – whether they’re in the parks or on the trails – and many of them are well-behaved, but not all of them are,” said Mayor Yvonne Hamlin, who put the motion forward.
“I thought it was time for us to ask our residents to be more aware of their dogs and to keep them on-leash,” she said.
Hamlin said she’s hoping staff can recommend methods for the town to be more pro-active in dealing with the off-leash dog issue.
In Collingwood, dogs are required to be on a leash except in off-leash dog parks or private backyards. There are fines for owners of dogs running at large.
The Town of Collingwood has three off-leash dog recreation areas, including the Pawplar Dog Park on Poplar Side Road and Portland St., the Central Park Dog Park at 250 Hume St. and the Heritage Park Dog Park at 11 High St.
Coun. Kathy Jeffery noted she had raised the issue at the council table in the past.
“I hope we get on it, because I know I’ve made this request before. I’ve noticed in the last couple of campaigns going around that there are a number of dogs that are off-leash, and the number of people who speak to me about it, it’s very disconcerting for them,” said Jeffery.
For more information on Collingwood’s rules for responsible pet ownership, click here.
