Increase in dog bite incidents prompts Wolfville park to limit off-leash hours

After an unspecified fig of incidents involving off-leash dogs astatine Reservoir Park, the Town of Wolfville, N.S., is moving a aviator task until January that will limit the hours dogs tin beryllium off-leash.

The changes mean dogs indispensable enactment connected leash betwixt 10 a.m. AT and 7 p.m. each day. Previously, determination weren't immoderate restrictions.

Wolfville Mayor Jodi MacKay said when she received a telephone from an exigency country doc telling her she was seeing much cases of canine bites coming from the park, MacKay said she knew thing had to beryllium done.

MacKay said the municipality gathered feedback from assemblage members for a mates of months.

"We heard a batch of conscionable antagonistic interactions [with off-leash dogs]," she said.

MacKay said she does not cognize however galore incidents determination person been and however terrible they were.

People who don't comply with the caller rules can be fined betwixt $100 and $1,000.

MacKay, who owns a five-year-old schnauzer named Mac, said radical who privation to stock feedback astir the aviator task tin bash truthful by scanning QR codes located passim Reservoir Park.

David Steele is simply a subordinate of a naturalist radical and often walks astatine the park.

"I've had excited dogs travel racing astatine maine and leap connected me," said Steele. "I'm a reasonably sturdy fellow, but not everybody who walks present is, truthful I tin recognize wherefore that could beryllium rather threatening and adjacent unsafe for immoderate of the radical who usage the park."

Steele said it isn't conscionable dogs that tin beryllium recovered astatine the park. He said astir of his interactions with pets there have been positive, but the fewer that aren't tin beryllium particularly unsafe for children and aged people.

Doug Watling of Kentville, N.S., is not pleased with the change. He frequently drives to Reservoir Park to fto his dog, 13-year-old Hannah, off-leash.

"One of the things that made the parkland charming is the information that dogs were off-leash and got to prosecute and interact with people," helium said. "We'll beryllium coming present acold little often, spot me."