Pet owners, soccer association divided over Vernon off-leash area

Dog walkers and soccer players can’t seem to see eye-to-eye on sharing a Vernon park.

The issue of whether dogs should be allowed off leash at Marshall Fields is back before Vernon city council after hundreds of people signed petitions both for and against allowing off-leash dogs at Marshall Fields.

Many dog walkers pushed for an off-leash area and want to see it become a permanent part of the park, arguing it’s beneficial for the dogs to socialize off-leash and that dog owners use the park all year round, not only during the warm-weather months.

However, the off-leash area is right next to a number of soccer fields, and when the snow melts, the fields fill up with teams of all ages, causing the local soccer association to worry about safety.

View image in full screen

“We are not against dogs or dog owners or anything like that,” Kai Topinrud, general manager of the Vernon Soccer Association, said.

However, others believe that the risk of dog bites is low, on or off leash.

“I’ve never heard of a dog biting a child that was playing soccer so I don’t think it is anything to really worry about,” said Susan Evans, who uses the park for dog walking.

Adding to concerns about dogs straying onto the soccer fields is the mess they can leave behind.

“It is an irresponsible person who won’t pick it up, whether they are on leash or off leash,” Evans said.

Many on both sides of the debate see a simple solution: putting up a fence between the soccer fields and the off-leash area.

However, it may not be that simple.

The city is looking into the possible environmental impact of a permanent off-leash dog park at Marshall Fields.

Earlier this month, city council earmarked $6,000 to have an environmental assessment done.

Once that’s completed, city council could tackle the issue of whether off-leash dogs can stay at Marshall Fields as early as next month.