Control your dogs!!!!
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Submitted by sapphire on Sun, 18/01/2009 - 5:45pm.
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Posts: 12
Joined: 28-11-2008 |
I live in West Fernie and am not quite sure of the by-laws here concerning dogs. I have been wanting to write on here since the summer but just putting it off until now. I am getting really sick of loose dogs running free through the neighborboud. They come into my yard and go to the washroom wherever. For example this summer on my flower pots and my bike. Even more annoying tromping through my freshly planted garden in my back yard. One of the things that really frustrates me is when dogs(usually more then one)come to the yard in which my dogs are fenced in and bark at my dogs. Lots of the time trying to attack through the fence and getting my dogs all worked up. There is one dog in particular in my neighborhood that I think should never be off a leash or unsupervised. It is a bigger black dog who has a very bad tempermant. I would say he is viscious. This dog is allowed to run free sometimes which I think is so irresponsible of the owner. He has chased me on my bike and visciously attacks my dogs through the fence. It is sad but I am nervous to walk my dogs down the street because of this. I know that there has been incidents with this dog in the past but the owner does not seem to care because things have not changed. I know that if there is one more situation I wil be contacting the cops or city because I am totally sick of it. I just find this all so frustrating because I keep my dogs fenced in. If they are in the yard barking I go see why and will bring them in or tell them to be quite. Overall I just wish that people would keep control of their dogs and not let them roam free. |
Joined: 26-11-2008
We live in the middle of town (annex) and have the same problem. Dogs wander down the street independently and defecate on our lawn. Even better, owners 'walk' their dogs (without a leash) and LET them go to the washroom on our lawn, on our trees, on our vehicle tires, and act like it's no big deal. We keep our own dogs fenced in 100% of the time and when we take them for walks they are ALWAYS on a leash because that is a BYLAW of this city we live in - something a lot of people tend to forget or ignore. There needs to be stiffer penalities and more enforcement of the city bylaws for irresponsible dog owners.
-For you, sapphire, I am afraid that the city bylaws do not regulate West Fernie. My suggestion, phone the police if that dog is aggressive again, and certainly make some complaints to the RDEK.
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Say NO to Flathead Park!
Joined: 12-05-2006
Is it that time of year again? I'm officially declaring this thread a tradition. I'm still on the "CONTROL YOUR DOGS" side. Hopefully someday someone will show up and explain to us why they believe it IS ok to let their dogs do as they please. If the arguement is that its not humane to keep animals fenced up or tied up, then its really not ok to keep them as pets at all! Down with animal slavery!
In all seriousness though, we could definitely use some bylaw enforcement. I've been here 25 years and can remember 3 times that I've heard of a bylaw being enforced. I'm sure theres been more but you'd think it would be something you hear about fairly often. I suppose its only fair to mention that I don't live in Fernie, I'm all RDEK.
Joined: 18-02-2008
While we are on the topics of dogs I would like to mention that just because it is winter it does not mean that you don't have to pick up dog pooh. I live in the Annex and own a dog so I walk the dyke a lot. It is gross how much pooh there is along the way. Be responsible and clean up after your dog.
Joined: 06-07-2006
Gavin, it's always that time of year! Sapphire, I'm sorry you're having this issue, but as the previous poster mentioned the city has no jurisdiction over West Fernie. Your only hope would be a report to the RCMP but it would probably take a lot of calls before it would be considered a real problem, and the dogs would probably have to be causing real damage or danger for them to get involved.
Unfortunately the only people who think there is a problem or that anything needs to be done, are the more responsible dog owners - but even they seem to think, at times, that they are exempt from the rules if it's inconvenient. I've seen it happen, time and again.
That said, this is a real problem. There are so many dogs running lose in Fernie all the time and so little getting done about it. Besides the obvious nuisance factor, it's the danger that bothers me. We've lost several baby moose in the last couple of years to off-leash dogs. (And this is just in our city parks, I have no idea how many animals have been killed in the backcountry.) What kind of tragedy will we have to face before people will take this seriously?
Joined: 01-12-2005
My daughter is scared of dogs now because she was bitten by one (off leash) while riding her bike.
To add insult to the injury, my kids can hardly play in the back yard because it seems to be the place to "go" for dogs in the area. We live next door to a coffee shop in the Annex and dog owners go in and leave their dogs to roam around.
I am so tired of it. What do I do, get a fence put up??
For a town of such environment-conscious, community-oriented people, who obviously love this place because of all that surrounds us.... I just don't get it! Crap on the sidewalk makes Fernie look like a dirty place and reflects badly on all of us.
Just take a bag with you and pick it up!
Joined: 17-06-2007
[quote=V]Crap on the sidewalk makes Fernie look like a dirty place and reflects badly on all of us.
Just take a bag with you and pick it up![/quote]
I agree. In a perfect world there would also be no broken beer bottles on the streets, no cigarette butts and no fast food litter. But I see them all daily.
Joined: 10-05-2006
2nd Ave is currently a problem for my daughter and I. Everybody (okay not everybody but lots of people) bring their dogs to this business street and then leave them outside of businesses, tied up or not, and my daughter and I have to try and get around them to get down the street. Sometimes they are friendly, but sometimes they are not, and I'm sorry but we don't know at a glance and can't take the risk. In the summer we'll often see between 1 and 10 dogs by the time we get down one side of 2nd Ave.
This summer my daughter was almost bitten by a dog who was tied up on 2nd Ave. We walked a wide circle around the dog to get past but he had a really long leash and jumped, barking and snapping his jaws, for us anyways. It's owner came out of a store as it was happening and said 'Sorry, he just doesn't like kids' as we were walking away, as if this were an explanation of some sort. My daughter was traumatized.
I guess what people don't realize, and that dog owner certainly didn't realize, is that if that man loved his dog, and if he had bitten my daughter or some other child, his dog very well may have had to be put down. In many cities dogs are not allowed by by-law on busy business streets like 2nd Ave. Perhaps this is what needs to happen in Fernie. I realize it only takes a few bad owners to spoil what everyone else enjoys, but by the look of these posts there are a few people at least who are fed up with dealing with the abundance of unsupervised dogs in Fernie.
Joined: 15-12-2006
This last post brings to light an increasing need in Fernie for a doggie daycare. I would suspect that many of the dogs tied up outside of businesses on 2nd ave. are travelers. You can't leave your dog in a hotel/motel unattended or in your car (it's often too hot they will die). There is no place for dogs to go while their owners explore, shop or dine. Nelson has a great daycare right downtown.
It may not address the free roaming dogs Fernie has but it may help. I know currently the bylaws don't legally allow for such a business, and there are a few dog haters in town who may oppose it, but I believe it's needed. If we are to continue to enjoy tourist dollars we can't ignore the growing number of dog households, and like children, accomodating to their needs help make Fernie an easy choice to stay, play and spend.
Joined: 06-07-2006
I think it is actually against local bylaws to tie your dog to any city property (such as the bollards with the nifty little hooks that are just perfect for tying a dog to.)
We have something close to a doggie daycare - Happy Hounds. Most hotels will allow pet owners to leave their dogs as long as they are crated.
Joined: 13-07-2007
visit www.happyhounds.ca for info on Happy Hounds. a dog walking service rather than a day care (which I also think would be great) and the dogs love it!