Monday, March 29, 2010

(Wo)Man's Best Friend

I am delighte dwith the report that recommends opening up downtown parks to leashed pets. I wished they would include all parks. Perhaps they could post the ski runs as off limits rather than the whole park. As for the additional costs I would suggest they simply increase licensing fees by a buck to pay for the receptacles, signage, etc. and provide the doggy do bag dispensers of facilitate pick up of feces. And strongly enforce the bylaw that fines pet owners for not cleaning up after their pets - a great cash cow I would think.

Lastly, thanks to Councillor Hill for his support for this change.

8 comments:

  1. agreed. I was running through Kiwanis Park yesterday and in the span of 2 min crossed paths with 3 owners with dogs on their leashes. Clearly residents are either not aware of this by-law or are choosing to ignore it. If the City isn't going to enforce it, why have it in the first place.

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  2. I hope the enforcement at the parks is better than that of my own neighbourhood, where I regularly have to pick up droppings on my own lawn.

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  3. I remember talking to someone last fall whose neighbour would purposely have their dog do its business on the guys driveway every day.

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  4. The solution is to make any/all dog owners responsible for any/all dog doo they find whether it's their dog's or not. I keep hearing how responsible dog owners are let's test it. If you are out walking your dog and find a steaming pile of dog excrement just do the right thing and pick it up! If your out walking your best friend and he or she takes a big crap don't look up at the sky like nothing just happened don't look around to see who's watching PICK IT UP! That way all of us who don't have or want dogs or the feces that invariabley goes with them won't have to see it, smell it or wear it on our shoes. Saskatoon has often been called the Paris of the prairies let's complete the comparison and we can all walk around with poo ala shoe like they do in gay Paris.

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  5. So from snow angles to "doggy doo gods" I can't say I agree other dog owners should be responsible for unknown excrement. I heard the other day a guy got caught on an assault because they traced the victim's dogs DNA on him. Maybe we should have all dogs go in for mandatory DNA tests when they get their license. Then we could set up a crime fighting group of CSIs to come out and test the doo doo and fine the culprits. At last a full proof way of tagging those that don't look after their dogs with the punishment. After that we take on all the geese/deer/pigeons/cougars/moose/fox/coyote or any other animal that might relieve themselves in our "protected" sterile area.

    I am glad the city reversed this useless by-law now if they could just work on a few other needless bylaws we could all enjoy the fruits of a "FREE" society

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  6. Thank-you Grizz for you always informative, well thought out and mostly courteous answers. I don't have any issue with dogs I have an issue with bad dog owners. Just yesterday I watched a couple walking their pride and joy on River Landing. When that rather large lovely creature started doing the "tippy" ballet and laid down a couple of substantial logs they just walked away, when I suggested (courteously) they might want to pick it up the "gentleman" suggested "if you don't like it you pick it up" and the "lady' suggested I perform an act that is for the most part impossible! That's my problem with dogs in public parks, inconsiderate dog owners! Civic Mistress, from your vast knowledge and experience who's on the hook if a person gets bittten by a dog in a public park if the City of Saskatoon in fact rescinds the by-law, could it be the tax payer you worry about so much?

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  7. It would be the dog owner who is liable one would assume. I would point out that the owner is liable for damages and injuries caused by their dog when it escapes. Regardless of where the dog causes the damages it is still the owner who is on the hook.

    I would very much doubt that any court would interpret dogs allowed in a park as justification for concluding the city accepts all liability for all dogs in the park.

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  8. Having just commented on the Dubois/Wyant dog pee bylaw issue in June, and then went on to read older posts, it's clear that Saskatoon is home to many rude and boorish dog owners who fail to accept responsibility for their pets and have little or no respect for the property of others.

    So once again... I am wondering how any reasonable and rationally minded adult (is that you Mr. Wyant... or not?) could question the need for laws to help us deal with these people?

    Or will no one think it's worth their time until we end up in the news (like California and Chicago) for a senseless crime when a frustrated property owner does something rash to one of these ignorant dog owners? I suppose then maybe, folks will think it's time to talk about what we can do... you know... kind of like how we wait until enough people are killed at poorly controlled intersections before we do something. I'm sure in the meanwhile, it's far more constructive to spend our tax dollars on decorative lights for bridges.

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