Notwithstanding the dog by-laws which have been in effect for 15 or so years, many owners allow their dogs to run freely just about everywhere in Nelson. No one seems to enforce these by-laws and it may be, as one person told me, “It’s costly, and there’s no money in it for the city.”
When visiting Campbell River, I noticed that all dogs were on leashes, and the city had erected signs to that effect throughout their parks, etc. As a result, I felt very comfortable walking and shopping there.
Personally, my family (past dog owners, by the way) and I have had some bad experiences with dogs running loose, and I am not a happy camper when a dog of the pitbull variety swims up to me while I’m taking my dip at Lakeside Park or when one runs at me while I am out walking, or when a large dog is blocking the entrance to a store I wish to enter. Also, I am not impressed to see, after the snow has melted in the spring, the large amount of dog feces deposited all over our property during the winter months.
I know this is a difficult issue for everyone: tourists, business owners, taxpayers, dog lovers/non-dog lovers (scaredy cats like me), etc. But I can tell you what would make me happy.
If the city adopted a new by-law allowing only leashed dogs free access throughout our entire city, I would like that.
Gwen Cavanaugh
Nelson