The City of Westmount will be laying down the law and tightening the rules for dog owners.
The city on Montreal island will be ratcheting up its enforcement of pet registrations and leashing rules.
“You must have a Westmount dog licence to be in any of these dog runs or Summit Woods. The fines are increasing and they are going to sting,” Westmount Mayor Christina Smith said during a packed council meeting this week.
Westmount has recently been threatened with legal action over leashing regulations in the long-standing Summit Woods dog park from nearby residents. They also complain dogs running freely throughout the woods are damaging the environment.
They interpret provincial law as dictating that dogs are only allowed off-leash in an area that is enclosed by a fence.
In response, new municipal signage laying out the rules has been installed on the popular dog runs.
Public safety officials will also be on site in the coming days giving out information regarding municipal dog regulations.
City workers will be ensuring dogs are registered with the city, including carrying the proper tags.
As of April 16 and until June 15, dogs must be on a leash at all times in Summit Woods, during bird nesting season.
The city says pet owners caught flouting the rules risk steep fines of up to $300.
The Westmount Dog Owners Association welcomes the idea.
They claim the majority of dog owners already and will continue to follow the bylaws if it means maintaining access to the beloved woodland.
“Increased enforcement, increased fines, clarifying the bylaws, we are all for that as dog owners,” Rick Hoge said as he walked his three greyhounds.
Other dog owners, like Dana Even, see the measure as a way to keep harmony between pet owners and residents.
Losing the run, she says, would be devastating.
“We really do revere the woods here and we are very respectful,” Even said.
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