Dear Editor,
For about a week now there has been a witch hunt going on at Moody Park. The target is “old women with little dogs.” That quote is from a young man moments after being confronted by an enforcement officer while in the ball diamond with his large dog playing off-leash. The enforcement officer didn't give this dog owner a ticket for having his dog off-leash. The young man told us the enforcement officer said he was “going to be selective” and was “looking for a group of old women with little dogs who sit in the ball diamond and let their little dogs run around and they don't leave until the ball game starts.”
Really? Is this the priority of our by-law enforcement? Open drinking and drug use, as well as chronic smoking of cigarettes and marijuana is rampant in Moody Park, and throughout the uptown area, but old women who cause no damage and are not affecting anyone whatsoever are being hunted down. By the way, we leave the ball diamond when the players come out onto the field to practice, not when the game starts. Most of the time there is only a handful of players at the ball diamond, and the game doesn't start until all the players show up. Furthermore, some of the players have large dogs off-leash in the ball diamond running with them during practices, and on the sidelines during games. So, is it's OK to have an off-leash dog in the ball diamond so long as the dog's owner is playing baseball? Should us old women start wearing ball caps and carry balls, bats and mitts with us?
Many of us small dog owners have expressed concerns about the new dog park at Moody and how our little dogs have been trampled on and injured, and we no longer go near the park. We asked to have the dog park fenced off for little dogs and were denied. We asked to have small dog only hours at the dog park and were denied. We asked to have the Moody dog park designated for small dogs only, and were denied. These denials were explained that it wouldn't be fair for the big dogs. Every dog park in the city is open for big dogs. Can the city just give us one dog park for our little ones? Please?
We have been to the trial small dog area at Queen's Park. The concept is excellent and greatly appreciated, but the gate in the fence separating the small dogs from the big dogs has been a huge issue. Folks with their big dogs walk them through the small dog area and this is causing great anxiety for us old women and our small dogs. It really defeats the purpose of having an area for small dogs. Most of the time when I go there the gate is propped open with a stick or rock. The big dogs are in there and their owners are clearly annoyed when asked to take their dogs into the big dog area. The owners of the big dogs have been verbally abusive and aggressive with us, and along with their big dogs they frighten us. I still go there occasionally, but none of my old women friends from Moody Park will go back until the gate is locked up.
I met with Jay Young a couple of weeks ago and explained all this to him, and asked to have the gate locked, a $50 lock and chain would suffice. Much to my surprise Jay's response was that he didn't think it was a problem so long as the big dogs were leashed when walked through. Then he went on to tell me that he has a black lab. With all due respect to Jay, unless you've actually had a small dog and have seen that dog attacked or trampled, you can't appreciate how important it is to have a safe place for just little dogs.
I have done the online survey for the small dog area. My old women friends have also done the survey. But with the anger over losing a postage stamp sized piece of the dog park, what's stopping big dog owners at Queen's from doing the survey numerous times so as to tilt the odds to the “not in favour of a small dog area?” Should us old women do the survey several times a day, every day, just to balance out the votes? We've discussed it, but as we are all responsible, fair, tax paying and law-abiding citizens, we wouldn't feel right doing so.
Some of you may remember Ken and Catherine McEwen and their small dog Indio from articles and pictures in the Record. A month ago Indio was trampled by a large dog and was paralyzed. The McEwens have spent well over $10,000 on surgery and ongoing physiotherapy, not knowing if Indio will ever walk again. Indio has only recently been able to stand up on his rear legs and take a few steps, but he will never be the same and will likely wear doggy diapers for the rest of his life.
Please provide a safe area just for small dogs as soon as possible. With all the little dogs in apartments and condos in the uptown/Moody Park area, something within walking distance is needed. And please call off the witch hunt at Moody Park and reallocate those resources to the real problems. Thank you!
T. Trimble, New Westminster
