by Jack Darnton
Dogs may be man’s best friends, but even friends should have some limits.
After much discussion on the updating of the Parks and Recreation and Community Forest Lands comprehensive plans, planners seem set on requiring that dogs be on leash when in the Forest Lands — just as they must be on leash in the rest of the city.
The idea of making certain trail areas open to dogs off leash has fizzled.
Dogs do not always play well with others, whether people or other dogs, and on the confined trails in the Forest Lands there have been problems.
Unleashed dogs can be a nuisance as well when roaming off the established trails and doing what dogs do — digging and chasing things and leaving waste behind.
Some dog owners, a minority to be sure, are part of the problem as well, encouraging their dogs to roam and being oblivious to potential problems.
Having said that, most dog owners are responsible and most dogs we’ve encountered in the Forest Lands and places like Washington Park are well-behaved.
Is there a way to create a bit of space for off-leash dogs and get owners to follow the rules?
The planning work on off-leash dogs has about wound down and the plan updates will go to the City Council soon. We think, though, the idea of a small section of Forest Land trails open to off-leash dogs should at least stay on the table.
People who don’t want to mix with off-leash dogs would have plenty of other trails. And we don’t see how the dogs would cause any more issues than the motorcyclists and mountain bikers who zoom through the woods.
The city has been pushing ahead in concert with community groups on the new dog park at Ace of Hearts Creek Rotary Park, which will open soon. This promises to be a wonderful and much-needed addition to the parks system.
It’s also worth looking hard to see if there’s a way to create a similar place in the Forest Lands. The old city dump area has been mentioned.
It’s not an easy proposition, but perhaps there’s a spot that would give more dogs an opportunity to romp in some open space without tearing up a pristine area.
