Dog owners in New Westminster have long wondered about a curious sign at an off-leash dog area in Moody Park.
The sign declares the dog park a “Bark Free Zone” and features a cartoon dog saying:
“I am soooo excited but please keep me from barking.”
The sign also features the City of New Westminster’s logo and even cites Animal Care and Control Bylaw No. 7586.
The reaction of many dog owners was the same: “You can’t be serious.”
One park user said it was the equivalent of putting a sign inside a bar telling people not to drink.
Indeed, the City wasn’t serious.
“The sign was simply a light-hearted way of asking people to remember that they live close to neighbours and to respect them,” Jay Young of New Westminster Park and Recreation said.
Nevertheless, the park is rife with rumours of tickets being issued to owners of barking dogs.
But the city says there was no bite to their “No Bark” sign.
“As far as I know…no one has been ticketed, period, for a dog barking in Moody Park in the last six months,” Young explained.
The sign was the result of a dispute — now resolved — between a dog owner and a neighbour, but backlash and misunderstanding has forced a change.
The “Bark Free Zone” sign will be replaced with a new placard that will read:
“Please respect our neighbours by avoiding excessive barking.”
– With files from Squire Barnes
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