The Capital Regional District is stepping in where even the brave fear to tread. Bike lanes, sewage treatment and regional governance are guaranteed to whip many Victorians into a frenzy, but if you really want to get the fur flying, just mention people and their pets.
CRD staff did more than mention it last week. They recommended to the parks committee that dog-owners be limited to three dogs each in regional parks, with commercial dog-walkers limited to eight dogs. Commercial walkers would also pay a $320 licence fee, be subject to a code of conduct and agree to conditions such as where and when they can walk dogs.
The committee approved the recommendations and sent them off to the board for ratification. The new rules would take effect on May 1.
One can easily sympathize with our beleaguered regional representatives if they wish this issue hadn鈥檛 landed on their desks. They have a massive sewage-treatment project to manage, our roads are clogged and political landmines are constantly scattered in their path. Why would they knowingly step between dog-lovers and those who don鈥檛 love dogs?
The impetus for the staff recommendations came from the non-lovers, who complain that they run into packs of unleashed dogs when they amble around Elk Lake or through other parks.
鈥淢any longtime visitors comment on how many more dogs are in the parks these days, and how some owners have many dogs off-leash at a time,鈥� the report says.
鈥淪ome people regard this as a problem. Others welcome dogs and state that there is no problem. What remains unknown is the number of people who do not visit parks because of the potential for negative dog encounters.鈥�
That last point is a good one, as some walkers who have been bowled over by man鈥檚 uncontrolled best friend probably do abandon the trails for fear of a repeat performance. If surveys or focus groups can get a picture of those numbers, it would be useful in policy-making.
Dog owners point out that regulations already abound in CRD parks. But most complaints are about people who flout the existing rules. Of the 3,844 violations recorded in CRD parks in 2016, 37 per cent were dog-related 鈥� more than any other category of violation.
Dog-owners and walkers are required to have the animals under control, pick up after their pets, and keep dogs off beaches and other seasonally restricted areas. The complaints say all three are routinely ignored.
If that鈥檚 the case, is there a point to bringing in another set of rules that will be ignored?
Staff asked for money for more patrols, and perhaps stronger enforcement would encourage the scofflaws to pay attention to new and existing regulations.
In 2019, staff will come back to the committee with a more detailed report on park issues, which will include dogs. With another two years of data, the CRD can revisit the proposed regulations, and possibly reduce the number of dogs permitted.
Greater Victorians, to their credit, love to get outdoors in parks and on trails. As anyone who enjoys a weekend walk knows, those trails are getting crowded.
A few more rules could help to smooth the way for everyone.
