There are many dog owners in the Headon Forest community.

According to local by-laws, pets must be leashed at all times and failure to comply may result in fines.

Unfortunately, the only leash-free parks are outside of walking distance. As a result many dog owners are tempted to walk their dogs off leash to get them the exercise they need. This can result in confrontations between dog owners themselves and between dog owners and families with young children.

A leash-free park in Ireland Park would provide dog owners with a convenient place to exercise and socialize their dogs and would prevent confrontations and incidents with non-dog owners. It would also result in more voluntary compliance with the local bylaw.