Skip to content

LETTER: Off-leash dogs in Summerland park should be under control

Some people seem to think off leash means their dogs can do whatever they want.
32045996_web1_letters-fwm-0703-letterw_1
Send your letter to the editor via email to news@summerlandreview.com. Please included your first and last name, address, and phone number.

Dear Editor:

My wife and I have been walking our pack mates in Sunoka Park for more than 30 years.

When it comes to dogs, that park is divided into two parts: the area you arrive at when driving in with parking, picnic tables, toilet facilities, etc., and the more rustic back area.

That back area is designed for off-leash dogs.

We are in favour of that. Dogs need a place to run free to best burn off their almost endless energy.

With our previous six dogs, we have let them off leash in the back issue and will do so with our new puppy, but we will only do so when we have reasonable voice control over our new pack mate. Therein lies the problem.

Some people seem to think off leash means their dogs can do whatever they want.

We welcome short visits with other dogs. We like dogs and it is a good socializing experience for our puppy. However, if a dog or dogs decide to come to visit the three of us, they should not be allowed to charge over at us at full speed.

And I do mean charge over.

Both of us have come close to being knocked to the ground a few times or tripped up by two or three encircling dogs. Often the owners of said dogs will command their dogs to return to them, but far too often that is a wasted effort. The dogs ignore the pack leaders.

That is inexcusable.

With our previous six dogs, we have had good voice control over them. We kept them back from meeting other dogs until we decided it was OK to have a little visit. They listened to us and for the most part, obeyed our commands. That is part of what being the pack leader is about.

Over the decades, I have spoken with at least a dozen people, probably more, about dog attacks at Sunoka Park. It goes much the same almost every time: “The dog seemed friendly when it came running towards us, but something happened and the dogs were suddenly fighting. We tried to break it up and were attacked ourselves.”

A couple of the stories involved dogs directly attacking people. One fellow I know of could no longer lift his arm higher than shoulder height because of a dog attack.

If you do not have a reasonable level of voice control over your dog, you should not be letting it off leash. And you should never allow your dog to charge at people. That is how trouble can start.

I totally respect your right to let your dogs off leash. I encourage that, in fact. But please respect my right not to have to deal with uncontrolled dogs charging in our direction.

Buzz Smith

Summerland

Signature