I am writing this petition to address a need for an enclosed off-leash dog area in one of the parks within the River District area of Vancouver. As a passionate dog owner myself, I have witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by our community when it comes to finding a safe and suitable space for our furry friends to play and socialize.

Currently, the only nearby off-leash area is at Everett Crowley Park. While this park offers an open off-leash environment, it is filled with wildlife, making it unsuitable for all types of dogs. Additionally, its proximity to an open road poses a significant risk for pets. These factors make Everett Crowley Park less than ideal for providing a safe and controlled environment for dogs to enjoy and their owners to feel confident about the safety of their pets as well as their own.

I was devastated to see that the only option for an enclosed off-leash area was a fenced construction zone that dog owners had been using to play with their pets. This area provided us with a temporary solution, but now since the makeshift off-leash zone was taken down we are left without any options. It is disheartening to witness fellow dog owners struggling to find appropriate spaces where their pets can run freely and enjoy outdoor activities, especially considering the pervasiveness of park areas in the neighbourhood.

You can see in THIS MAP the possible areas that could be explored to create a fenced off-leash dog park.

Although the River District is an amazing area with many kilometres of trails to walk dogs on, it still has hundreds of dogs that could benefit from the socialization and exercise that an enclosed off-leash area could provide.

Check the Petition Updates to find an example of a letter that will be addressed to city officials when we gather an even greater number of signatures!