Bainbridge Island Metropolitan Park

& Recreation District

Board of Commissioners Statement on Off-Leash Dogs
October 23, 2014
Comments in red are submitted by Becca Hanson & David Ward on behalf of Bainbridge Islands
many quiet dog owners who take their responsibilities to their dogs and their fellow Islanders
seriously and whose needs and positive actions have been trivialized by this proposed statement.

First and foremost, the public health and safety of citizens using our parks is of primary
importance. We agree.
Off-leash dogs continue to cause the following problems in our parks:
Dogs being walked off-leash continue to be confused with dogs at-large, something that should
never happen either in Parks or in the City.

Off-leash dogs often startle park users.

- So do bicyclists, horses and runners. What are we doing about them?
Off-leash dogs at times injure park users and park staff.
- Do we have a log of all of the recent injuries suffered by park users and staff or is
this anecdotal information? We have asked for this information previously and
been told that BIMPRD does keep records on this.
People with a fear of off-leash dogs are often afraid to use parks.
- It has been suggested on numerous occasions that timed-use would provide
people who are fearful with the information that they need in order to avoid these
times. This is used at numerous places across the country and around the world
and, with peer pressure and a break-in period, it works well.
Off-leash dogs at times harass, injure or kill wildlife.
- All trained off-leash dogs are trained to leave it and return to their handler. It is
imperative that more people (and dogs) get this training, and that people take this
responsibility seriously and dont use the walking time as a social outing with
friends. Social outings can happen at the Dog Park.
- Many dogs are currently being trained to guard not only domesticated animals
but also wildlife, particularly in Australia.
Owners may be less likely to pick up fecal matter left by their off-leash dogs, especially
those dogs that are out of sight of their owners.
- This is a grossly insulting statement and again shows the confusion between offleash walking and at-large behavior with no person around.
- All responsible owners walk with multiple plastic bags and not only pick up their
own dogs poop, but also anything else that is encountered because they know
that they will be judged by the most irresponsible behavior that others encounter.
- Over the last 8 years, the amount of dog poop that is left un-picked-up has been
so significantly reduced that it is the rare occasion that it is encountered on Island
trails.
Off-leash dogs have caused problems for owners of on-leash dogs in the parks.
- All trained off-leash walkers know to stop with their dog and discuss with the
other people if the dogs are OK to approach, or if one of them needs to move off
of the path. This is only common sense and common courtesy and is currently
practiced by the vast majority of regular walkers on this Island.
- It is a known fact that on-leash dogs are more territorial and defensive, and that
most owners who have well-socialized animals will drop the leash and let the
dogs encounter one another without the restraint of a leash.

All dog owners need to practice a common courtesy to one another and to other
Park users. This needs to be trained and reinforced positively, through peer
pressure and, where necessary, through intervention.

Off-leash dogs continue to pose these problems despite the fact that citizens may walk their dog
on-leash in any Park District park and exercise their dogs off-leash in our two established OffLeash Dog Parks.
The ability to form a working partnership with your dog is one of the most satisfying experiences
in life. Through rigorous training and dare I say certification they are able to retain a degree
of freedom in their choice of where and when to stop as long as they obey they rules that have
been set for them by their partner.
The Park District instituted its leash requirement in 1972 and reaffirmed the leash rule in 2010 as
part of a review of its policy manual.
There have been repeated calls for training, certification and a more enlightened approach that
has already been undertaken by other municipalities.
An on-leash dog is no guarantee of good behavior or being truly under control. It is at best an
admission that the dog cannot be trusted and, at worst, an excuse for laziness.
The City of Bainbridge Island ordinances related to Animal Control and City Parks are not
consistent with Park rules related to leash requirements.
On-leash or under control works well.
BIMPRD once again reaffirms its requirement that all dogs must be kept on a leash except when
in a designated off-leash dog area; and
BIMPRD requests that the City of Bainbridge Island amend its Municipal Code to state that it is
illegal to allow a dog off-leash on BIMPRD property except in established off-leash dog areas,
enforceable by a fine as set out in the COBI Municipal Code.
We have repeatedly suggested that we work together to get a conversation / lecture series set up
so that these discussions can actually begin to educate the public and dog owners about our
mutual responsibilities. The following list represents a previous list that was sent to BIMPRD:
Dr. Patricia McConnell, Adjunct Professor of Zoology, etiologist and Certified Animal
Behaviorist at the University of Wisconsin, and the author of The Other End of the
Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs.
Dr. John Bradshaw, anthropologist at the University of Bristol UK, and the author of How the
New Science of Dog Behavior Can Make You a Better Friend to Your Pet.
Michael Diehl, BI Attorney and author of Crossings - about liability and civil law.
Steve Armistead, environmental planner with Boulder, Colorados Open Space & Mountain
Parks who is in charge of their Green Tag off-leash program.

Also please see the Boulder, Colorado article about their off-leash dog classes.
http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_25711939