SUNDRÉ – The new off-leash dog park, immediately adjacent and west of the municipal office, is the only place within the city limits where residents can let their dogs loose.
“Our new dog park is the only place you can walk your dogs off-leash,” said Sundre Community Peace Officer Sam Zhao.
All walking and nature trails within city limits – including Snake Hill and the Red Deer River – are designated as leash areas to help ensure equitable, safe and respectful recreation for all types of users. not all of whom have canine companions.
“There have been issues with people walking their dogs off-leash along the river paths and along the berm. So to solve this problem, we actually ordered appropriate signage for these trails,” Zhao said on October 11. “We’re just waiting for these to arrive and then they’ll be installed.
Responding to a question about the types of measures available to the municipality to respond to a resident’s concerns regarding an off-leash dog who has, for example, frightened or even run over a child or worse, the peace officer encourages people to such situations to call the town hall. at 403-638-3551.
“I would suggest that if you see someone walking their dog off-leash or if someone is knocked down or someone is bitten – or a dog is bitten – just call the town hall and ask to fill out a concern form and either the animal control officer or I will follow up,” he said.
“But the problem with complaints about dogs is that they are vastly underestimated,” he added. “And I don’t know if it’s because of the size of the community or if people just don’t think to call.” But there is much more going on than is being reported. »
When asked how often he finds himself confronted with such cases, he replied: “It’s not really predictable, but it is consistent that enough residents have raised concerns about people who walk their dogs without a leash in the city. »
Residents looking for a larger, more natural space than the new fenced-in lot to let their dogs run off-leash have the option of venturing just beyond the city limits, along one of the access to flood control dikes. from Highway 760, he said.
“One place I would suggest to people if they wanted to walk their dogs off-leash is the south end of the berm along the Bergen Highway,” he said, adding that this location is located on Mountain View County lands.
“It’s wide open and it’s not really used,” he said.
In the event that someone walking their dog crosses paths with someone coming for a walk or a bike ride, they should be able to call their dog back quite easily. But with a mix of different users, there’s always the possibility that people will inadvertently surprise each other, he said.
“Most of the time, it’s exactly that,” he said. “The problem with trails is people turn a corner and then there’s a dog off leash and then someone comes along on a bike or people on foot.”
No one deliberately sets out to set their dog up for failure, but sometimes instinct takes over and animals react to external stimuli, he said.
“Even if your dog is fine on a leash, it’s other people’s dogs that can approach you and cause problems,” he added.
But although the only place in town to legally walk dogs off-leash is the new park next to the city office, Zhao said he’s not about to start writing a ticket for every infraction that he sees or is reported to him.
“It starts with proper signage,” he said. “I can’t expect people to walk their dogs on a leash when there are no signs in town prohibiting off-leash dogs.”
Once those signs are installed, the focus will be on education, he said.
“But if people are repeat offenders or if their dog is a real problem – like if it’s a vicious dog, if it has attacked people or dogs in the past – then we might consider something else a little higher than a simple conversation,” he said.
“In cases where a person or other animal is attacked or seriously injured, they will be charged,” he said, adding that there is no black and white model approach and that every offense must be considered based on individual circumstances.
Since opening this fall, the new fenced off-leash dog park has been busiest in the evenings after work, after people have gone home and finished dinner, he said.
“People use it, that’s for sure,” he said.
When asked if there have been any problems at the park, he reiterated that many animal concerns tend to go unnoticed.
“I’ve heard – off the record – of people not picking up their pets, occasional confrontations between owners,” he said.
“But again, if people don’t report it, there’s nothing we can do about it.”