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Compromise on leashes needed

Re: Sanctuary reinstating leash rules, March 5.

To the Editor,

Re: Sanctuary reinstating leash rules, March 5.

I learned about the new leash rules at Morrell Sanctuary that will be put in place by the end of March through the newspaper.

The article said the parking lot was full of dogs and their owners. It seemed that this was seen as a problem, though I am not sure why, unless you dislike dogs.

What is really unfortunate is that there have been so many dog owners coming to Morrell because there are so few places to walk your dog in Nanaimo unleashed. We would not see this happening if there were ample places to walk our dogs off-leash.

Because it has been so long since dogs have been allowed off-leash, people have developed a fear of dogs that are not leashed. I think in time this would change if people were given a chance to become accustomed to it.

There will always be people who do not want to walk where dogs are off-leash, and there will always be people who want to walk where dogs can run and socialize off-leash.

Rather than all or nothing, wouldn’t it be wonderful to create an alternative? Possibly allowing dogs off-leash at restricted times or days and allowing on-leash at other times.

We don’t live in a perfect world, so there will always be people and dogs who don’t act responsibly, but I think it very sad if we all need to be punished for the acts of a few.

I would like to thank the Morrell society for allowing us all to have access to a wonderful walking trail. It is an absolute jewel and I consider myself very lucky to live as close to it as I do. It is a privilege.

What would make it perfect is to have a time allowance for off-leash walking.

Roblyn Hunter

Nanaimo