It seems that the real reason James Bay is being graced with a new off-leash dog park at Shoal Point (Fisherman's Wharf) is due to a surplus of Fidos and Fifis stomping down the grass and scaring the other wild critters along Dallas Road. Apparently the answer is to shift the problem over to a neglected park in a nearby neighborhood, (even though the City has received no petition from households or condo owners adjacent to the park or elsewhere in James Bay).In a search for a balanced solution to meet the needs of canines and other recreational users of the parks in Victoria's most densely populated neighborhood, one James Bay apartment dweller and former pet owner suggested that dog owners be licensed as we do operators of motor vehicles.
She suggested that owners of dogs wishing to have access to any public space should be required to: 1) register their dog(s) with the City, 2) show proof that their dog has satisfactorily passed a dog obedience training course, and 3) carry insurance so as to mitigate any potential damages incurred to a third party in the event of mishap with a dog. She also added that such a policy and program could be affordably implemented by working in cooperation with veterinary clinics as well as independent pet services or pet retail shops.
(Note: According to a Victoria Parks official at last weekend's "Paws in the Park" open house at City Hall, less than one quarter of canines are currently licensed in the City of Victoria. No information was available in the presentation as to the size of the dog population or the number of dog licenses issued in the Capital Regional District.)
Now if only we could get all the dog-owners to pick up after Fido and Fifi...the world would be perfect!
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