Greetings all:
We operate several conservation areas and strive to maintain the tenuous balance between public use and protection of the natural heritage. A major challenge is convincing dog owners to respect our rule that pets must be leashed. I would be grateful if anyone could point me toward a successful campaign that accomplished this. Also, I would welcome advice on implementing a program to convince pet owners to clean up after their animals while on our properties.
Michael Sykes
Communications and Marketing Assistant
Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority
(613) 546-4228 Ext. 243
www.cataraquiregion.on.ca
Encouraging Dog Owners to Leash Pets
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On Fri, 25 May 2007 10:53:24 -0700 "Weigel, Stephanie":
When I lived in Ft Collins Colorado there was a big problem with off leash dogs in the Martinez Park along the Poudre River. One approach the city took was a very nice enforcement officer on bicycle who rode the trails and when he found folks observing the leash law, delivered coupons for free coffee or ice cream cone (positive reinforcement). He also delivered citations to those with off leash dogs, so that it became known that you ran a risk when running your dog off leash. You may wish to contact them to see how successful the program was/is.
Here in Chico there is a short window of time (dawn to 8:30 AM) where dogs ARE allowed offleash in Lower Park (Bidwell). I'm new to the area so don't know the history of this rule, but suspect that having that opportunity once a day may take some of the pressure off that comes from folks who *insist* that their dog needs to run free. As for cleanup, the best approach is providing poop bags onsite (good bags, not the ones that split) AND multiple opportunities to dispose of the bags. I'm also a big fan of education. For example, having materials available that explain how leashing domestic pets protects wildlife, that include any specific examples of species or studies being done in your location. I make the comment about the attitude of the enforcement officer because I think that plays a big role in the way people respond to rules that they are not eager to follow. Having a personable and reasonable officer who is willing to listen goes a long way, imho. Also, having enforcement that is intermittent and appears random can help. If you know that the officer only works afternoons, then you may try to get around the system by running your dogs in the AM. That said, having visible enforcement/eduction at peak use times can also be very effective.
Stephanie
Stephanie J. Weigel MS, PHD
Department of Geography and Planning
California State University, Chico
530.898.4670 phone
530.898.6781 fax
[email protected]