Dog owners should be allowed to unleash their pet dogs for free play in Edwards Park, as long as they maintain voice control over their dogs.

Dogs who gather with their owners in Edwards Park are well-socialized. Likewise, owners who bring their dogs to play in Edwards Park are responsible pet-owners who ensure that their dogs remain well-behaved while playing in the park. Moreover, dog owners are respectful of other residents seeking to enjoy the park. Often, dogs and their owners share the park space with kids playing flag football, residents enjoying a book or picnic while sitting on a bench in the park, or residents simply traversing the park as part of a recreational walk, or to reach the tennis courts.

Gathering in Edwards Park fosters a sense of community: it serves as a healthy and wholesome pastime for hundreds of dogs and their owners living within a short drive or walk to the park. Countless friendships--canine and human--have been formed during owner-supervised dog-play sessions there.

Requiring that dogs be leashed while in Edwards Park will effectively end all dog play sessions there, depriving town residents--canine and human--of a healthy and wholesome source of recreation.