There had been some discussion about banning them to cut down on problems. Until now, there have been no guidelines for dog owners and little signage. We want to change that for the benefit of users whether dog walker, jogger, bicyclist, hiker, bird watcher or picnicking family. The goal is to put in place some reasonable rules so everyone can have a safe and enjoyable time in the forest.

Currently the rules being put into place are:

For your own dog’s safety, all dogs must be leashed before getting out the car in the car park.

Dogs must be leashed at all times except in areas clearly marked "dogs off leash."

If your dog poos on the trail, please be considerate and use a twig to move it off the path, if possible kick a bit of dirt over it.

All dogs must have current vaccinations, including yearly rabies. The forest belongs to the wildlife. All mammals can carry rabies, so please protect your dog by vaccinating!   

Dog owners who do not comply will be warned. Those who chose to ignore the rules will be barred from bringing their dogs into the forest in the future. Having dogs in the forest is a privilege not a right.

This is the optional canine bandana code:
RED: Dog is reactive. Keep a reasonable distance.
BLUE: Dog is friendly but owner chooses not to allow greetings of any kind.
GREEN: Dog is friendly and owner welcomes on greetings.
PURPLE: Dog is timid or fearful. Keep reasonable distance.

If you are entering the park with a dog, you will be asked to read the new rules and agree to abide by them.

In the future, we hope to hold an informal meeting with the dog owners to gather their input. Classes for dogs in the forest also are being considered.   

Discussion also is underway about issuingpasses for dogs that exhibit good manners in public and have current vaccinations. This pass would be revoked for dogs with owners that refuse to follow the rules.

There have also been problems with feral or semi-feral dogs in the forest. We are taking steps to ensure that they are humanely removed. These dogs will be evaluated and those deemed healthy enough willrehomed.So look for a column in the future about adopting dogs from the forest.

Happy Dog Walking!

Amy L. Rapp