Kandra Wild and her dog Ben go to Cathy Lauritsen
Memorial Off-Leash
Park twice a day. Still
in his puppy stage, Wild is trying to teach him how to interact with other
animals.
“It’s day and night,” said Wild at
the dog park Tuesday. “If you don’t socialize them like this then they develop
problems and behaviour issues.”
At Cathy Lauritsen Memorial, Ben is
free to run around, burn some energy and make new friends. Don Simons with the
Regina Humane Society says that’s a very important aspect of any dog’s development.
“Dogs are social animals. They’re a
pack animal, so they like to be with other dogs,” said Simons. “Socializing a
dog helps them be better dogs because they’re not aggressive towards other dogs
and not aggressive towards other people. That’s really important for the health
of the animal.”
But Regina dog owners say fewer people are opting
to do it because of lack of access.
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“It’s quite a sore spot at the park
here,” said Wild. “We definitely need more dog parks in the city.”
In surrounding cities dog owners
have more options. Saskatoon has six permanent
off-leash parks, and Winnipeg
has 13. In the west, Edmonton has 40 and Calgary is home to 149. Regina however, only has
one.
“That’s not enough,” said dog owner
Riley Day. “Not for the size of the city and the amount of dogs that are here.”
The city is considering a proposal
to open five outdoor rinks (M.J Coldwell Park,
Glencairn Park,
Leslie Park, Mike Badham Park
and Rosemont School Park)
as boarded, off-leash areas in the summer months. They did this last year when
Cathy Lauritsen Memorial was closed due to flooding. The move proved to be
popular, and this season dog owners are asking for it again.
The city is also exploring an option
to convert Ross Industrial Park into a dog park, but a
timeline right now isn’t clear.
“We are doing our best to establish
and find options for the community,” said Regina’s
Infrastructure Strategy Coordinator, Janine Daradich. “There is definitely a
desire by residents and it’s important for residents to have the option to
socialize their pets.”
The Community and Protective
Services Committee will vote on the rink proposal April 11th, and
then it goes before City Council April 16th. If the proposal passes,
the rinks would be open for dogs and owners May 1st.
Canine lovers say it’s a great first
step.
“Not necessarily for bigger dog
owners because I think the bigger dogs need a bit more room to run,” said Wild.
“But, I think for smaller dogs or puppies it’s great!”
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