Published May 16, 2023 6:44 p.m. ET
Green space around Rawlinson Community School, near St. Clair Avenue West and Oakwood Avenue, is imagined in this Streetview image. (Google)
A neighborhood is sounding issue after a variety of attacks by off-leash dogs on school property beyond school hours, a minimum of among them leading to major injuries.
The latest occurrence occurred at Rawlinson Community School, near St. Clair Avenue West and Oakwood Avenue, on the night of May 12, according to Toronto District School Board (TDSB) Ward 9 Trustee Alexis Dawson.
A group of trainees were at the school playing when an off-leash dog approached them and bit among the trainees in the face, Dawson said.
The boy was required to medical facility with major injuries and needed surgical treatment, she said. The dog owner was no place in sight when the attack took place and no grownups concerned help, she included.
Families at the school have actually been “traumatized” by the occurrence and some kids have actually said they don’t wish to go to school.
“Families are afraid to stay there and to send their kids,” Dawson informed CP24.com.
She said that particularly with the weather condition getting better, lots of kids hang out around the school to play at night. There’s likewise a day care, which is open there till 6 p.m.
“These incidents are ongoing, they’re becoming much more frequent now that families and dog owners are out with the nicer weather and it has compounded since COVID,” Dawson said.
A letter sent to the Rawlinson school neighborhood today advises households to “use extreme caution” because of the recent attacks.
“I understand there are community members regularly allowing their dogs off-leash in our school yard on evenings and weekends, which poses a potential threat to children and adults alike,” the school’s primary composed. “I would like to urge all families to exercise extreme caution when in the vicinity of the school yard outside of school hours.”
She said the attacks “have been mild to very severe in nature” and said a few of them have actually been reported to authorities and Toronto Animal Services.
Herself the parent of an 11-year-old-boy at the school, Dawson said she is considering informing her child to leave if he is using school premises and sees an off-leash dog.
But the issue isn’t simply at Rawlinson.
“It’s a huge issue,” Dawson says. “I actually heard at Rawlinson that there was even a dog trainer hosting dog training workshops. And the rules are that there are no dogs allowed on school property at all, no matter whatever time of day.”
Dawson said the issue is especially bad in areas which do not have green space. Her ward extends down to the waterside and consists of some locations downtown where there are lots of, lots of dogs and couple of big parks and she’s handling the very same concern at a school near Fort York.
“It’s particularly compounded in my ward, which includes Davenport, which is the most green space-compromised ward in the city,” she said.
Technically, off-leash dogs are not enabled on TDSB property, however the board does not have any enforcement systems and city law officers are not empowered to perform enforcement on school property.
For now, households in the location are being recommended not to approach any dogs that are off-leash, even if they appear friendly, to prevent eye contact with the dogs, and to retreat gradually if a dog is grumbling, barking, or revealing its teeth.
Dawson said she and Coun. Alejandra Bravo are turning over some election indications to be repurposed into indications advising individuals that their dogs can’t be off-leash on school property. They’re likewise analyzing a neighborhood advantage arrangement to see if it may allow law officers to do enforcement on school premises, and are preparing to leaflet in the location to advise dog-owners of the guidelines.
While she is concentrated on advising dog-owners about the guidelines at the minute, she said that eventually there requires to be a much better option.
Dawson keeps in mind that many individuals got dogs throughout the pandemic when lots of areas were closed down and peaceful which a few of the regimens for dog-owners which were great then might not work any longer.
She said green space likewise requires to be a factor to consider as part of advancement.
“Within the ward as a whole, we have more than 80,000 units currently under construction. And we’re getting word of more applications several times per week,” she said. “And so we are very concerned but I am particularly concerned because it’s a growing issue and there’s nowhere for dogs to go.”
Dawson said the issue is especially bad in areas which do not have green space. Her ward extends down to the waterside and consists of some locations downtown where there are lots of, lots of dogs and couple of big parks and she’s handling the very same concern at a school near Fort York.
“It's especially intensified in my ward, that includes Davenport, which is the most green space-compromised ward in the city,” she said.
Technically, off-leash dogs are not enabled on TDSB property, however the board does not have any enforcement systems and city law officers are not empowered to perform enforcement on school property.
For now, households in the location are being recommended not to approach any dogs that are off-leash, even if they appear friendly, to prevent eye contact with the dogs, and to retreat gradually if a dog is grumbling, barking, or revealing its teeth.
Dawson said she and Coun. Alejandra Bravo are turning over some election indications to be repurposed into indications advising individuals that their dogs can’t be off-leash on school property. They’re likewise analyzing a neighborhood advantage arrangement to see if it may allow law officers to do enforcement on school premises, and are preparing to leaflet in the location to advise dog-owners of the guidelines.
While she is concentrated on advising dog-owners about the guidelines at the minute, she said that eventually there requires to be a much better option.
Dawson keeps in mind that many individuals got dogs throughout the pandemic when lots of areas were closed down and peaceful which a few of the regimens for dog-owners which were great then might not work any longer.
She said green space likewise requires to be a factor to consider as part of advancement.
“Within the ward as an entire, we have more than 80,000 systems presently under building. And we're getting word of more applications numerous times weekly,” she said. “And so we are really worried however I am especially worried since it's a growing concern and there's no place for dogs to go.”
-->
