Toronto residents are outraged over the city’s decision to ban professional dog walking at a popular downtown park. As of September 19, people will be prohibited from walking more than three dogs at a time in the off-leash section of Ramsden Park, located at Yonge St. and Ramsden Park Rd.. Commercial dog walkers with more than three dogs will still be allowed to walk them in the regular area of the park as long as they’re on leash. Residents allegedly complained of dog walkers’ “heavy use” of the park in addition to “noise, disturbance and parking conflicts,” according to Ward 11 Councillor Dianne Saxe, per Now Toronto.A petition was immediately launched by Rebecca Riddell, owner of Bark Buddies Inc., a local business that boards and walks dogs. Riddell slammed the ban as “unjust” and “unfounded.”“(It) negatively impacts our community and local businesses,” she wrote in the petition, adding the park is the only one with a space for small dogs. The petition cites unfair motivation, false claims of overuse, lack of alternatives, impact on small businesses and a need for new parks as reasons for requesting the ban be amended. Riddell proposed to “address the concerns about noise and park usage” by having the city impose a “designated time limit for commercial dog walkers at Ramsden Park,” requesting the hours between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. to be fair game for professional dog walkers. “This time frame aligns with current usage patterns and minimizes potential disturbances to nearby residents during peak hours,” states the petition. “We believe this compromise will address noise concerns while ensuring continued access for the many local dogs and dog walkers who rely on this essential facility.”The petition currently has 1,432 signatures. “All the dogs are local and all of these dogs’ owners are paying taxes for these dogs to use the park,” Riddell told Global News.Saxe told the publication in a statement she is aware of the substantial pushback on the upcoming ban, but it will have to do until the city delivers a “dog master plan.”“We may need bylaw changes if we wish to allow Commercial dog walkers at specific off-peak daylight hours, which might be a reasonable compromise,” Saxe wrote.
Toronto residents are outraged over the city’s decision to ban professional dog walking at a popular downtown park. As of September 19, people will be prohibited from walking more than three dogs at a time in the off-leash section of Ramsden Park, located at Yonge St. and Ramsden Park Rd.. Commercial dog walkers with more than three dogs will still be allowed to walk them in the regular area of the park as long as they’re on leash. Residents allegedly complained of dog walkers’ “heavy use” of the park in addition to “noise, disturbance and parking conflicts,” according to Ward 11 Councillor Dianne Saxe, per Now Toronto.A petition was immediately launched by Rebecca Riddell, owner of Bark Buddies Inc., a local business that boards and walks dogs. Riddell slammed the ban as “unjust” and “unfounded.”“(It) negatively impacts our community and local businesses,” she wrote in the petition, adding the park is the only one with a space for small dogs. The petition cites unfair motivation, false claims of overuse, lack of alternatives, impact on small businesses and a need for new parks as reasons for requesting the ban be amended. Riddell proposed to “address the concerns about noise and park usage” by having the city impose a “designated time limit for commercial dog walkers at Ramsden Park,” requesting the hours between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. to be fair game for professional dog walkers. “This time frame aligns with current usage patterns and minimizes potential disturbances to nearby residents during peak hours,” states the petition. “We believe this compromise will address noise concerns while ensuring continued access for the many local dogs and dog walkers who rely on this essential facility.”The petition currently has 1,432 signatures. “All the dogs are local and all of these dogs’ owners are paying taxes for these dogs to use the park,” Riddell told Global News.Saxe told the publication in a statement she is aware of the substantial pushback on the upcoming ban, but it will have to do until the city delivers a “dog master plan.”“We may need bylaw changes if we wish to allow Commercial dog walkers at specific off-peak daylight hours, which might be a reasonable compromise,” Saxe wrote.
