The Editor
Re. "New dog regs for Mundy?" (The Tri-City News, May 6).
I know there are few topics in Coquitlam that attract more public commentary than the issue of off-leash dogs in Mundy Park. But, having read the article about an investigation by our city councillors and possibly committing up to $100,000 of our hard-earned tax dollars, I can't help but feel just like I did back in the classroom when one or two unruly students could cause the whole class to get a detention: Unfair!
I am a regular and responsible dog walker in Mundy Park. You likely will find my dog and me somewhere on the trails almost every day between 8 and 10 a.m. the posted off-leash hours.
There is a core group of regulars and we know each other maybe not by name, but often by our dogs' names. It is rare for negative altercations to occur in the off-leash hours and I believe for the most part, the joggers, cyclists and walkers get along perfectly well.
It is clearly posted that dogs are not to walk around the trail to Mundy Lake, so I never have and rarely see others heading down those trails with a dog.
What I do encounter on my morning visits to the park is a group of people and dogs getting healthy exercise, exchanging greetings and enjoying our beautiful park. Funny, I can't remember ever seeing any of our city councillors in the park, so if they're considering spending $100,000 to restrict the trails, I encourage them to visit before committing so much money to a problem that, as far as I can see, doesn't exist at least not in the off-leash hours.
I can't speak for what happens after 10 a.m. as I follow the rules. The people I see carry dog poop bags and collect what needs to be collected, and if someone doesn't happen to notice that their dog has relieved themselves, it's very common for another person to bring it to their attention. A few more waste receptacles would be greatly appreciated and would be a lot less costly than $100,000. I joke about making a deposit to the Bank of Mundy and can personally attest that the majority of the waste in the park bins is either dog poop bags or coffee cups.
As for patrols by bylaw officers, I would like to suggest more patrols at Como Lake and Lafarge Lake, both popular walking areas where I have witnessed, on more than one occasion, adult humans relieving themselves in the park and where fishers have failed to dispose of entrails both also pretty disgusting.
As a dog owner, I appreciate the freedom to exercise my dog off the leash in Mundy Park in a responsible manner and I know our visit to the park is a high point in my dog's day. Unfortunately, there are always a few less responsible people who can ruin a good thing for others.
In this case, though, I just can't believe there is a serious reason to restrict the dawn-to-10 a.m. off-leash rules in Mundy Park, and certainly no reason to invest a great deal of taxpayer funds in this issue.
Sidney Chambers, Coquitlam
99% RESPONSIBLE
The Editor,
The question of allowing dogs off leash in Mundy Park has reared its ugly head yet again. As a frequent user of Mundy Park over the last 14 years, I have seen this subject arise nearly every year and I wonder who is making these complaints?
The window of opportunity for us who take advantage is a narrow one: dawn to 10 a.m. Surely, those insensitive people who are offended by the sight of a dog frolicking off leash, could schedule their exclusive rights to the park in the hours from 10 a.m. to dusk, a vast majority of the day.
I am confident when I say that 99% of dog owners are responsible people and many of the morning dog walkers are retirees. The majority should not suffer the consequences of an irresponsible minority.
As for those garbage bins filled with dog waste, eventually, the waste it is going to end up in a garbage bin somewhere.
Neil Swanson, Coquitlam
