To the Editor,
Re: Off-leash dog park out of place close to play area, Letters, Feb. 15.
I am a dog owner of two very different dogs – a 2.5-year-old beagle cross and a seven-month-old St. Bernard – and have a very different opinion regarding dog off-leash parks.
I agree that each person should be responsible in watching their dogs, picking up after them and reading the rules before entering the park, but I do not agree that all should be enclosed.
Dogs are very unpredictable, but if trained properly, tend not to run off and stick with their pack.
My dogs enjoy the off-leash trails, as it gives them a chance to run, smell and interact with other dogs in a great setting. They do get up ahead of me while there, but when called, they come back.
Both of my dogs are extremely friendly. My St. Bernard is 100 pounds and she would never run up to or into a child, knocking them over. She knows her size and the difference between a child and an adult.
She is trained to greet each person calmly and accordingly, but accidents happen; that is why they call them accidents.
I have seen children at the enclosed Beban Park off-leash park get knocked over by dogs running around while inside the fence, so it can happen in an open space or an enclosed space.
There are many people around the city who would love it if they had more off-leash parks and trails that were not fenced.
I and others avoid the enclosed dog parks due to the ignorance of some who enter and let their dogs run loose and don’t pay attention to them, but in no way do I think all off-leash parks should be open.
Each dog and situation is different and it would be nice to have a larger mix of each around the city.
A. Bell
Nanaimo