We live beside one of the wonderful parks in St. Albert where we walk our two dogs, on-leash, at least four times a day. Every time we are in the park, we end up picking up dog waste left there by irresponsible owners, the majority of whom are the ones letting their dogs run off-leash. We understand that dogs love to run off- leash. However, some of these owners stand in one spot and let them run. As a result, the waste is not picked up. This park has a very nice playground where there are always children playing when the weather is nice. There is also a basketball court and, often, there are children just playing games on the grass. It is not pleasant when they must deal with dog waste.

On occasion, some of the dogs running loose can also be aggressive. We believe that the owners who are kicking up such a fuss about leashing their dogs are in the minority. Within a three-block distance of our home, there are probably upwards of 40 dogs, and almost all are walked on-leash. For the many of us who walk our dogs on-leash, it would be preferred if the others were required to do so as well.

We are requesting our city councillors to consider these concerns when making the final decision on this matter.

Vic and Lesley Hogan, St. Albert

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