The City of Westmount can be laying down the regulation and tightening the foundations for canine homeowners.
The metropolis on Montreal island can be ratcheting up its enforcement of pet registrations and leashing guidelines.
“You must have a Westmount dog licence to be in any of these dog runs or Summit Woods. The fines are increasing and they are going to sting,” Westmount Mayor Christina Smith mentioned throughout a packed council assembly this week.
Westmount has not too long ago been threatened with authorized motion over leashing rules within the long-standing Summit Woods canine park from close by residents. They additionally complain dogs working freely all through the woods are damaging the surroundings.
They interpret provincial regulation as dictating that dogs are solely allowed off-leash in an space that’s enclosed by a fence.
In response, new municipal signage laying out the foundations has been put in on the favored canine runs.
Public security officers may also be on web site within the coming days giving out data concerning municipal dog regulations.
City employees can be guaranteeing dogs are registered with the town, together with carrying the right tags.
As of April 16 and till June 15, dogs should be on a leash always in Summit Woods, throughout chicken nesting season.
The metropolis says pet homeowners caught flouting the foundations danger steep fines of as much as $300.
The Westmount Dog Owners Association welcomes the thought.
They declare the vast majority of canine homeowners already and can proceed to observe the bylaws if it means sustaining access to the beloved woodland.
“Increased enforcement, increased fines, clarifying the bylaws, we are all for that as dog owners,” Rick Hoge mentioned as he walked his three greyhounds.
Other canine homeowners, like Dana Even, see the measure as a technique to preserve concord between pet homeowners and residents.
Losing the run, she says, could be devastating.
“We really do revere the woods here and we are very respectful,” Even mentioned.
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