GuelphToday received the following letter to the editor from reader Jason Kent on the subject of off-leash dogs on unoccupied sports fields.
For at least the 100th time in the last couple of years, we were run up on by an off-leash dog.
No, not your useless neighbour who lets their dog run out an open gate on a weekly basis. We’ve had lots of those.
And no, not the dope who walks around the neighbourhood with their dog off-leash or with a dog they couldn’t control. Had lots of those before, too.
This time was once again at a sports field with a playground.
The rule is outlined in plain English and on signage at the park: “Dogs must be leashed immediately when someone enters the sports field to use it, regardless of who was there first or their purpose for playing.”
For the record, I don’t even care if the dog is leashed when I show up. My dog is reactive to other dogs, so I keep him on a leash.
But when we are minding our own business, keeping distance, we are still run up on by off-leash dogs.
Today I actually had someone talk back to me for yelling that they needed to stop their dog, while it was actively running full speed at us. Incredible stuff.
Can we try a tiny bit of self-awareness and respecting of others' space? It’s not difficult.
Jason Kent
