We are a growing downtown community of condo dwellers with no backyards, but one nice sunny patch of grass for our buildings - Sherbourne Common. Neighborhood residents used to regularly enjoy this grassy area, but increasingly the park has been used as an area for off-leash dogs to run.  As a result, many people have stopped feeling comfortable using the park. Please help.

With dog attacks happening recently in our neighbourhood and elsewhere in Toronto, dogs off-leash in Sherbourne Common is a safety issue that needs to be addressed soon.

Sherbourne Common is a small park - unlike some of the older parks in the city, it's not big enough for off-leash dogs and people to safely co-exist. Currently, dogs are regularly  jumping on people who are playing sports, sitting on blankets, eating at the picnic tables etc. Kids trying to play will get jumped on too. Soccer balls and other sports equipment get bitten and destroyed. Owners who are letting their dogs run off-leash have gotten defensive and confrontational when asked to leash their dogs. Dogs that are on a leash get run at by dogs that are running off leashed. It isn’t possible for people and leashed dogs to relax and enjoy the park with so many off-leash dogs running around.

Currently, dogs have taken over the grass. There have been dog attacks at nearby parks (St James specifically) which illustrate the danger of unknown off-leash dogs. There are nearby options for off-leash dogs – both the large off-leash area at David Crombie Park (480 meters north) and a small fenced dog run area 150m east of Sherbourne Common park. We would like to have the opportunity for people (and leashed dogs) to enjoy the grass at Sherbourne Common again this summer.

Please help our downtown community enjoy the small patch of grass we do have by enacting a zero tolerance policy for off leash dogs at Sherbourne Common. Large signs and regular, consistent bylaw enforcement are necessary. Thank you.