Dear Editor
Dogs off-leash in New Westminster is a constant problem and has been for years. Having read about the vicious dog attack in which both a man and his dog were injured, I am reminded that as a resident of Queensborough, I cannot count how many dogs every day are off leash in this area – particularly at times when animal control is not on duty (early morning and evenings).
Dog owners treat our parks and school areas as their own personal dog play and poo zones. It’s rude and arrogant. I have written and called animal control over the course of years. Little gets done. Still, almost every single day we see dogs off-leash here, sometimes even in the park where children are playing.
With all due respect to the nice people at animal control services in New Westminster, dog attacks and dogs off-leash will continue because there are no “teeth” (to use a pun) in the enforcement of this bylaw.
A New Westminster police officer told me that even though leash laws are a city ordinance, they will not enforce them and will “hand it off” to animal control – who is always a day late and a dollar short. New West needs to enforce its leash laws and police need to issue tickets as well, not just sometimes but every single time. Then perhaps the “teeth” of the ordinance will change things.
Paul Slusher, New Westminster
