The final stages of a new animal control bylaw in Saanich come with more restrictions for pet owners – including no retractable leashes.
The bylaw successfully passed its first three readings on Monday (Oct. 30) and is expected to be up for possible adoption on Nov. 6.
“Retractable leashes are generally dangerous to people, pets and the environment,” Coun. Karen Harper said after introducing the motion that would define a leash and explicitly restrict the retractable type.
The bylaw amendment saw support around the table, with others saying they had heard from the public that it was a safety concern.
“If you look across urban areas in B.C. and Canada, the norm is in fact non-extendable leashes. This change is neither radical nor unusual,” said Harper.
Mayor Dean Murdock wasn’t convinced, citing the enormity of the change. People who walk their pets on the street in residential areas will suddenly find themselves in violation of the ordinance, he said.
“I find that problematic … In my opinion, this is not a productive change and I think a lot of people are going to be very surprised to hear that they can’t use a retractable leash anywhere when they walk in Saanich.”
The bylaw passed its first three readings with some of the compromises made in September, including banning dogs on playgrounds and allowing off-leash activity between 6 and 9 a.m. in all P4 parks that are not considered natural parks or conservation areas.
At PKOLS, a 500-meter extension was added to the off-leash trail from the summit parking lot, bringing it to 2.3 kilometers.
All beaches outside the Victoria Migratory Bird Sanctuary will be off-leash with existing seasonal restrictions, meaning all Saanich beaches will remain as they are.
The three current pop-up dog parks – Lambrick, Rudd and Hyacinth – would become permanently off-leash. The proposed new rules would allow 57 of Saanich’s 172 parks to have off-leash areas, and 12 of those would have fenced off-leash areas, including a 1.5-kilometre trail loop within PKOLS and a four-hectare fenced area with trails in Cuthbert Holmes Park, while Cordova Bay Beach would be off-leash year-round.
The ongoing People, Pets and Parks Strategy has been a controversial topic for some residents and dog owners, spurring what Coun. Teale Phelps Bondaroff called “unneighbourly communication around the issue.”
“We’ve had people talking about harassment, threats, destruction of property. That has no place in a friendly and welcoming Saanich. I think we need to look at how we’re approaching this issue in general,” he said. “It was really disheartening to hear some of the allegations.”
Murdock echoed those concerns while thanking the public for its active participation.
“I know we’re not done yet, but I’m grateful that we’re at this point,” Murdock said.
The council will also consider budgeting for education, outreach, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the plan.
