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I think dogs should be allowed on leash at public parks. If yu check with the Town Clerks office you will note that there are thousands of registered dogs within the City. These dogs are considered family to most owners and as part of a family oriented community, that the City should be, we should allow for residents to partake in enjoyment of city parks with their ENTIRE families. In order for the city to reduce liability, it can post signs at each park stating the rules for dog owners, such as, dog must be registered with the city to be on premises, owner is responsible for cleaning up dog's waste, owner is responsible for any harm that their dog may incur, etc...
By having officers occassionally patrol parks and request to check dog's tags for registration, the City would be enforcing it's rules. Just like we have crews that clear the trash, they should also walk around the field and scoop any "poop" that someone may have left. It is the same ideal, we pay a clean up crew with taxpayer money to keep the parks safe, they should also poop scoop.
Boynton Park is already a great place to designate as a park. It is not used much by families with small children, there is alot of space for dogs to roam and hike, it is in a prime location where dog's wont cause much nuisance to toher city residents as it located behind a small quiet neighborhood on the Paxton line.
Please see previous answer.
I agree with this comment.
It is inane to restrict Worcester residents from access to public space. Is the dog leashed and under control? Is the owner picking up and disposing of waste? Is the dog licensed in Worcester? If yes, then there is no problem needing to be solved.
Occasional patrol of the parks checking for (1) leashes, (2) licensing, and (3) refuse removal with sliding scale fines ($10 first offense, $25 second, $100 for third, etc) should be sufficient to keep the parks safe and clean.
Having a designated off leash dog park (such as Boynton Park) would be great. The city ought to install a fence encircling the field, with a smaller fenced off area within the greater area for smaller dogs (e.g., less than 25 pounds). To cover the cost of the park, the city can require each dog be required to display a Boynton Park Pass Tag - which residents can have the option of purchasing for a yearly fee in addition to the dog license.
As the original comment points out, there are literally THOUSANDS of licensed dogs in the city. Excluding the owners from outdoor enjoyment in public areas is the opposite of an incentive to "Choose Worcester."
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