District of Squamish is seeking opinion from locals on off-leash dog areas in town.
The district is inviting both dog owners and non-dog owners to take part in a survey so the district can make an informed decision on off-leash dog areas.
The survey findings will help district in a pilot project to make popular parks, trails and nature areas as off-leash.
Judd Beach Trails in Brackendale, Merrill Park in Garibaldi Highlands, Squamish River dike behind Dog Pound, Stawamus River dike, Trails between the Squamish Valley Golf Club and the Mamquam River are the locations being considered for the pilot project.
These areas would be a “shared off-leash area” meaning that it isn’t solely for the use of off-leash dogs, or solely for the use of other user groups. Dogs would be allowed to be off-leash under certain conditions, for example at certain times of the day.
This means that non-dog owners will encounter off-leash dogs at certain times of the day. If you are a dog owner, this would mean that you could take your dog off leash in certain areas at certain times of the day.
The Squamish Estuary, however, is being considered a “no go” zone for off-leash dogs, meaning that dogs must be leashed in this area at all times. This is to protect important wildlife and natural habitat values, and enforcement would be prioritized.
The responses to the survey will help inform some changes to the Animal Control Bylaw.
Patricia Marini says
This study is irrelevant! All of Squamish is an OFF LEASH park! Councillors please go for walk on any trail,street, back alley any where, I guarantee you will run into at least 5 dogs off leash?
Angus says
Enforcement of the current bylaws is a joke! If the DOS is not enforcing the present laws, what’s the sense in creating “off-leash” areas, when 99% of the dog owners already treat the entire town as one. There is no respect for the present laws and making more won’t fix that. The district should just get serious about enforcing the present laws first, and when people actually abide by them, then talk about off-leash areas.
David Lassmann says
I have investigated this area to some extent. Many dogs are already found off-leash in the area. About half of the area is actually private property so the District cannot enforce the bylaw there. The rest of the area is unsurveyed and is therefore Crown land. The area is much used by children as a play area so an off-leash designation would be inappropriate, in my opinion. If the District wants to make this area into a park it should obtain ownership.