As a Barrie resident and dog owner, I have enjoyed the various parks, beaches, and trails with my family, and my dog where she is welcome and safe.

I am thankful that there are many places that I can go with my dog so she can live her fullest life. I am happy to know there are also many off-leash parks specifically designed for dogs.

Unfortunately, I have also been subject to irresponsible dog owners, many of which decided to adopt or purchase their pets over covid, and never trained them or learned how to be a responsible owner.

In many cases, these irresponsible owners allow their dogs to charge at other dogs, attack other dogs, attack children, and many of them even fail to pick up after their pets.

There has been a conversation about establishing an off-leash beach space for dogs, and I among others are vehemently against this. I believe an off-leash beach space would embolden irresponsible dog owners, who would then take over another space in our beautiful city.

Even though it may sound like a nice idea to some, I believe most reasonable people can see that an off-leash dog area would lead to dogs roaming in packs at large, dogs attacking other dogs, dogs attacking people, and a beach covered in dog feces. The space would become an unusable mess to the average tax-paying citizen, and close off legal options for the city to force dog owners to be responsible in public spaces.

Please continue to hold dog owners accountable and keep our beaches clean and safe. Thank you.