Out: CRD drops three-dog limit for regional parks

Commercial walkers capped at eight dogs

Capital Regional District directors have dropped a proposed threedog limit for people walking their pets in regional parks.

However, commercial dog-walkers will be subject to an eight-dog limit, will have to pay a $320 licence fee and must agree to conditions such as where and when their charges can be walked, along with a code of conduct.

The new regulations are to come into effect May 1.

Former parks committee chairman Mike Hicks, director for the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area, called the proposal “a knee-jerk reaction” that doesn’t address the issues people have with dogs in parks.

“This doesn’t do anything for me. It says you can have three dogs and they can all be off-leash and they can all off-control, as far as I’m concerned,” he said.

Hicks said there are major discrepancies in how the CRD deals with dogs in parks.

“Up in the Sooke Hills in the Sea to Sea Park, you can’t have your dog off-leash.

“You take your dog up there, there’s not a soul for miles, but you’ll get a ticket if it’s off-leash,” Hicks said.

“Yet you can walk through Thetis Lake Park and Island View Beach and all the dogs can be off-leash and you don’t get a ticket.”

“It doesn’t make any sense and it doesn’t address the problem which we tried to do, which was how do we prevent dogs from jumping on people? How do we define that they’re in control?”

Saanich Coun. Colin Plant questioned whether the discrepancy between the number of dogs individuals and professionals can walk will create enforcement problems.

“So a person who is currently a professional dog walker could not take out a permit and could walk as many dogs as they wish and that would be fine?”

Parks general manager Larisa Hutcheson said that shouldn’t be a problem.

“We will be able to identify those with large numbers of dogs,” she said.

“They typically arrive in marked vehicles. So there will be means to work with that community to ensure that they are following the regulations.”

Directors earlier approved a $100,000 boost in parks funding to hire bylaw officers dedicated to increased enforcement of dog-related maters in regional parks, as well as addressing issues such as people jumping off cliffs into Thetis lake.

Hutcheson told directors that staff plan to come back in 2019 with a more comprehensive report on park issues, including dogs.

The CRD parks bylaw already requires owners to have dogs under control at all times, to have a leash and collar for each dog at all times, and to remove waste.

The bylaw lists 11 parks that have dog restrictions on beaches and in picnic areas in the summer, whereby dogs are not allowed unless leashed and just passing through.

Dogs on the CRD’s three regional trails are to be leashed at all times.