A group of dog owners who frequent an off-leash park in Coquitlam's Miller Park are concerned about a man they say is threatening them and attacking their pooches. And they're baffled as to why he continues to use the area if he's afraid of dogs.
Elizabeth, who asked that her last name not be ued, said the incidents date back to last December when the man threatened a woman whose dog, which had been in the off-leash area, ran towards to him.
"The dog wasn't a threat, and it's easy for me to say that because I know the dog, but I don't blame him for being afraid," she said. "But he took it too far. He was screaming at her, saying, 'I'm going to kill your dog,' and she's a small, retired woman in her 60s."
Elizabeth said the man continued using the path through the park to drop off and pick up a child from a nearby school and, knowing what times he would be in the park, she would put her dog on the leash to avoid any confrontation. (The eastern portion of the Oakview Street park is designated as an off-leash area.)
But about a month later, she had her dog, which she describes as "old and arthritic," leashed and sitting beside her as she was talking to another woman in the park.
When the man passed by them he "grabbed his umbrella and started making jabbing motions at her face," and then pushed Elizabeth when she stepped between the man and her dog.
Fellow dog park users say the incidents have escalated since then, with the man "stabbing" dogs with his umbrella, and, more recently, with a ski pole.
One area resident said the stories are enough to make her avoid the park entirely, even though she and her husband have a six-month-old puppy.
"I feel threatened," said Anna Richer. "I'm definitely scared."
Elizabeth said she and others have reported the issue to police but have been told the man "has a right to defend himself," a response the park users find troubling.
Coquitlam RCMP Cpl. Jamie Chung said in the absence of criminal charges, privacy regulations prevent Mounties from discussing anything about the person in question.
"If investigators determine public safety is at risk for even one second, we will consider a public advisory," he wrote in an email to The Tri-City News.
Eileen Drever, the BC SPCA's senior animal protection officer, said the society just learned of the situation this week but would be sending an investigator immediately.
"We'll have to determine if this individual is protecting himself or, if he's not protecting himself, we need to speak with him and find out what's going on," Drever said.
Coquitlam's bylaw office is also aware of the situation and is working with dog owners and the man to resolve the situation.
"We're doing what we can within our mandate," said Andrea McDonald, the city's manager of bylaw and animal control services. "We're also involving other agencies such as the SPCA and RCMP when things are outside of our scope, our bylaw ability."
McDonald noted the city tries to ensure everyone can enjoy local parks and provides opportunities for dogs to be off leash and others where dogs must be leashed at all times, and enforcing applicable bylaws as part of the "Train Your Human" campaign.
"While your dog may be well behaved off leash, leashing your dog is about other people and other dogs," she said. "Your dog can be scary for small children and adults who may not like dogs, but who are just as welcome in our parks."
McDonald encouraged park users to report off-leash dogs (in on-leash parks or during leash-required hours) to the city's bylaw office at 604-927-7386 or, in the case of animal cruelty, the SPCA's hotline at 1-855-622-7722.
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