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Letter: I sympathize with 'intolerable' noise at Port Coquitlam dog park — here's a fix

The Editor: Re: “ ‘Intolerable’ noise from Port Coquitlam dog park sparks petition ” (Tri-City News, March 26) I am very sympathetic to the plight of Bill Atfield.
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The off-leash dog park on Shaughnessy Street in Port Coquitlam is currently closed while crews cut trees. Some nearby residents have signed a petition calling for it to remain closed because of the barking noise from off-leash dogs.

The Editor:

Re: “‘Intolerable’ noise from Port Coquitlam dog park sparks petition” (Tri-City News, March 26)

I am very sympathetic to the plight of Bill Atfield. I live in Maple Ridge, and the city installed a fenced “off leash” dog area in Volker park. The problem was the park, and hence the run, is located in the middle of a group of homes. The noise was intolerable and the dog owners were unsympathetic. There seemed to be no middle ground.

There was a petition to the city and the parks department, and after a lengthy period of meetings and discussion, the dog run was removed. In our circumstance, we had a group of councillors and parks representatives who were prepared to listen to our story and that of the dog owners. They were supported by staff who did a lot of work to support us all.

In the end, Maple Ridge came up with a set of guidelines for the location of dog parks that I think has worked well for all stakeholders. I would encourage Mr. Atfield to contact the Maple Ridge parks department for a copy of their guidelines. It might give some guidance to all parties.

Chuck Gale, Maple Ridge