Quote:
Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction
Regardless, the parks are there of the enjoyment of the people first and foremost. Having a dog off leash is privilege, not a right. If people can't do it responsibly in a way that respects people around them, then they shouldn't be doing it.
|
Using any park is a priviledge not a right. There are rules for people just as there are for dogs. But you can't say dog parks are for people first. Most dog parks exist only because they are dog parks. Not a lot of people are going to walk around in circles in a little scrap of park jammed between Deerfoot trail and the river if they don't have a dog. It's perfectly valid to say that park is primarily for dogs and people wishing to have a pic nic would be better off somewhere else. Just like the Inglwood bird sanctuary is pretty much for the birds...no dogs, no bikes, no fires or gatherings. Nose Hill allows off leash dogs but is also popular for people and wildlife and for the most part it works well.
If you're talking about that park in Toronto where dog owners petitioned and got it changed to an off leash park and upset all the people who live around it, then that's a different story. But that is not at all the norm. I can't think of a single other case where people have had an issue with parks going to the dogs. Calgary has 150 dog parks.