Morinville Dog Park concerns heard by Council

Above: The sign at Morinville’s off-leash dog park requires dogs 20 pounds and over to use the large dog section; however, one Morinville resident says the signs need to change as many small breeds can exceed that weight. – Morinville Online File Photo

by Colin Smith

Town council is moving to deal with unruliness at the Morinville Dog Park that is making some patrons feel threatened.

At its July 11 regular meeting council passed a motion directing administration to provide an update later this summer on the status of dog park complaints, with recommendations for improvements to signage or functionality.

Council members and administration have recently received complaints from users about being harassed at the park, which has been open for more than a decade.

Enforcement Services Superintendent Sgt. William Norton told council that patrol efforts have been refocused, with officers expected to visit the park on a daily basis.

Norton said the problems are resulting from the behaviour of one particular individual.

Earlier in the meeting council members heard from Angela Hick-Ewing, a registered veterinary technologist, who made a presentation about the park problems.

“I come here before you today after being repeatedly accosted at the dog park,” she said. “My children no longer feel safe using this public facility, and I know we are not the only ones.”

Hick-Ewing indicated that the problems stemmed from an individual challenging users if their pet in the area for small dogs appeared to be above the stated weight limit.

The Morinville Dog Park comprises specific areas for large dogs and small dogs. A sign states: “Dogs 20 pounds and heavier must remain in the large dog area. No large dogs over 20 pounds are permitted to use the small dog area.”

“While it is one gentleman who is taking the dog park’s signage to the extreme, it opened my eyes to just how inaccurate the signage is,” said Hick-Ewing.

She introduced information from kennel clubs and other organizations showing that many small breeds often weigh more than 20 pounds.

“Twenty-pound dogs classed as large is a gross inaccuracy when it comes to small dogs and puts many of them in an area that may be less than ideal for them.”

Hick-Ewing called on the town to change the park signage to accord with veterinary literature and breed standards.

“So I’m asking the town to reword the sign to try and stop the harassment a particular individual has been afflicting on residents using it as a reason,” she said.

Norton said that research and analysis are already underway, but expressed scepticism that such a sign change would solve the immediate issue.

“With this difficult person, if it wasn’t the signage it would be something else,” he said, adding that main thing was to educate the individual to ensure they understand the expectations for behaviour at the dog park.

“If we are unable to do that we would look at the membership of our park.”

Norton also stressed the importance of reporting incidents in which people felt threatened or unsafe.

“I would definitely encourage anyone who feels unsafe in Morinville to contact the RCMP, or at the very least my office, to ensure that we have all these documented and can take the appropriate tack to address the situation and resolve the situation,” he said.

Foxtail Barley an issue

Council passed another dog-related motion at Tuesday’s meeting.

Moved by Councillor Stephen Dafoe, it directs the administration to review Morinville’s Community Standards Bylaw in regard to regulation of foxtail barley “and other related weeds.”

This will include a comparison with the City of Calgary, which recently amended its community standards bylaw to introduce a $500 penalty for property owners who fail to control foxtail barley.

The move follows council’s receipt of a letter from a Morinville resident pointing out that the increasingly abundant plant can pose a serious health hazard to pets, notably dogs.

Foxtail barley seeds, known as awns, dry out in late summer and early fall, break apart and blow around. The awns have sharp tips and can become stuck in fur, paws, the mouth, eyes and noses of pets when they pass through stands of the plant.

“I have two neighbours who have both had vet bills in excess of $4,000 dollars from veterinarian-performed operations in which a foxtail had to be removed from their pet,” stated the letter writer.

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