As many Maple Grove Dog Park dog park users know, the City of Winnipeg has just released a draft of its log-awaited Off-Leash Areas Master Plan (OLAMP) along with a feedback survey (deadline of May 20th).
Once approved by Winnipeg City Council, the plan will set the direction for the management of existing off-leash areas and the creation of new ones.
The plan has one serious flaw. We are asking Maple Grove dog owners to act now to ensure that the final plan is one that is designed to better protect our dogs, enhance the experience of exercising and socializing them, while at the same time reducing the risk to ourselves of legal liability.
The Issue:
Off-leash dog parks are the only public spaces where dogs can legally be off-leash to exercise and socialize with other dogs and people.
Working independently and through the Winnipeg Network of Dog Owner Groups (WINDOG), of which MGPDOA is a founding member, your Board of Directors has long advocated for “single-use” dog parks where only those activities associated with off-leash dogs are permitted.
Through WINDOG, your Board has repeatedly asked the City to approve a plan that will ensure dog parks are single-use parks, just as municipal golf courses, soccer and baseball fields, skateboard parks, and children’s pools and splash pads are all designated for specific user groups. Dogs and their families need their own designated recreational spaces.
During the public consultation process, your Board along with many individual dog owners from all over Winnipeg asked that off-leash areas be designated “single-use”. City officials and project consultants were resistant to the concept and, while the draft OLAMP acknowledges the requests, all dog parks except the very smallest neighbourhood dog parks are designated as “multi-use”.
This designation favours all other stakeholder groups who already have access to an abundance of parkland and greenspace – 10,000 acres in total – all of which is either designated as “on-leash” or where dogs are not permitted under any circumstances. 200 acres in total is set aside for off-leash dogs. We need to balance this by ensuring there are areas where dogs can run free and only “off-leash” activities are permitted.
Unfortunately, the OLAMP clarifies that running, mountain biking, and other incompatible activities will be permitted inside larger neighbourhood, community and regional parks like Maple Grove.
The Liability:
Winnipeg’s Responsible Pet Ownership By-law states that a dog owner “must ensure that the dog does not pursue any individual or animal. The OLAMP recommends that the by-law be amended to clarify that dog owners who enter a dog park are responsible for their dog(s) actions at all times. That means if your dog were to chase a runner or cyclist, even if the person were not injured, you would be at fault and could be fined $200.
It’s not too late to change the draft OLAMP. The City is asking for our feedback. The final version will be approved by City Council in July.
Please show your support for Maple Grove’s position that off-leash dog parks be designated “single-use” by completing the City’s online survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/
The deadline for responding to the survey is May 20.
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