Dogs and their loving owners will on the agenda Thursday, November 26, 2015 as the Licensing and Standards Committee considers a consultative report calling for more public education about dogs and bylaws which are easier to understand. Josh Matlow of Ward 22 sits locally on the board along with Glenn De Baeremaeker, Frank Di Giorgio, Jim Karygiannis, Giorgio Mammoliti and Cesar Palacio (Chair). Despite the well-mannered parade of dogs seen on Bayview Ave. the City as a whole had 688 recorded cases of dogs biting people in 2014 plus another 248 cases of dogs biting animals. It is perhaps not too surprising with an overall population of 230,000 dogs.
SANDY BRUCE PARK
The well-used off leash portion of Sandy Bruce Park at Moore and Bayview Ave. seems like a peaceful place. But there is room for improvement says the report which was composed by staff based on a survey of dogs owners. Many respondents want Toronto to provide more information about dog safety and owner responsibilities. Some said the city should promote campaigns such as the Yellow Dog Project, a movement which seems to have started in the U.S. to identify “dogs who need space” with special tags or bandanas. Other people suggest that children under 12 should be prohibited from off-leash areas unless accompanied by an adult. Yet others think because dogs differ so greatly in size, the City should make separate off-leash spaces for each.
DANGEROUS, MENACING, VICIOUS
The definitions seem quite challenging but some cities apparently take the trouble to identify dogs that are “dangerous”, “menacing,” or “vicious” in their bylaws and there are concerns about the effectiveness of Toronto Animal Services in checking through complaints. Common sense seems to argue against a policing agency for dogs.
