It’s been a sight common enough to trigger complaints to the Capital Regional District (CRD).
Roving packs of unleashed dogs in outdoor spaces like Thetis Lake Regional Park in View Royal, where at least one person has said he’s considering “walking somewhere else.”
Coverage of Dogs in parks on Globalnews.ca:
The complaints have motivated the regional district to enact a bylaw, imposing a limit on the number of dogs that park users can walk at a time.
The limit is three for dog owners who are out walking their pets; the limit is eight for professional dog walkers.
The latter would also face a $320 annual commercial service fee and have to follow permit conditions like where they can walk the dogs, and when.
“Three dogs is enough for any one person to try and organize,” said dog owner Mat Dawkins. “We got one dog each and they’re a handful on their own.”
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As many as 20 professional dog walkers operate in the Victoria area, and some of them don’t think the new rules are fair.
Anyone who walks more than eight dogs at a time could take a hit to their revenue.
“It would be annoying to the guy with 10 dogs if he had to acquire help for just a couple of extra dogs,” said dog owner Daniel Fauteux.
But the sheer number of dogs falling out of people’s control in parks has necessitated rules like this, said View Royal Mayor David Screech, a member of the CRD’s parks committee.
“We’re going to have increased bylaw presence in the parks as well, to make sure the people do have their dogs under control which is really the main fundamental point of the bylaw,” he said.
The bylaw goes before the CRD board in December. It would take effect May 1 if it passes.