Possibility of off-leash dog trail gets thumbs up from many Newmarket hikers

Residents, both with and without dogs, expressed enthusiasm for the idea being explored by the Town of Newmarket, but had some concerns about where it might be located

Newmarkettoday.ca
Feb. 8, 2021

Several local hikers say they are enthusiastic about the possibility of an off-leash dog trail being created by Newmarket and other nearby municipalities, but the big question for many is where it would be located.

The Town of Newmarket is exploring the possibility of an off-leash dog trail with other members of its Animal Services Partnership, which includes Aurora and Georgina.

"Off-leash dog areas have been a topic of discussion, and staff are exploring opportunities with other stakeholders to look at all possible locations if additional off-leash areas are feasible," said town spokesperson Cassandra Papras.

Nonetheless, the revelation it is being considered has excited residents such as Brenda Bulfon, who has used off-leash areas in other communities.

"An off-leash dog trail would be awesome. The Scanlon Creek Bark Park has a trail that goes all around the outside that I have used. So yeah, I would be so in favour of this idea. My dog needs to run," said Bulfon.

Dogless hiker Gwynne Marchant agreed.

"I know dog owners would love it, my son and his partner live in Etobicoke, and they have an off-leash dog trail down there. They just love it; they can go for several kilometres and go there with friends," said Marchant.

Other dog owners who tend to keep their dogs on-leash, such as Diane Crossley, were a bit more ambivalent about the idea.

"I've never taken my dog off-leash, I don't think she would know what to do. Unfortunately, a lot of people in this area do it," said Crossley

Indeed, letting dogs off-leash on walking and hiking trails is a very common practice, despite it being expressly forbidden at every public trail in and nearby to Newmarket. But it has become an issue due to the increased popularity of hiking during the pandemic.

A discussion about the issue arose at Newmarket council Monday, prompted by two biting incidents on the forested part of Dave Kerwin Trail in the past few weeks, but those haven't been the only attacks.

According to Prapas, Newmarket's animal control department received 35 complaints of dog bites in 2020. Although it is not clear how many of these took place on trails with off-leash dogs, half of the incidents took place in the months of August, September and October.

Similarly, there were 171 complaints of loose dogs in Newmarket, a third of which came in between July to September.

Clare Magee is one of the people who has been bitten while out on a trail.

"I had a dog bite while skiing in one forest area. It was some dogs off-leash with inattentive owners. I was moving fast, and I guess the dog saw me as a threat," said Magee.

"The dog was a recent acquisition and wasn't used to the new owner yet, but they let it off the leash. So as I came up and was talking with the owner, it circled behind me and went for my hamstrings. I was fine, but it was distressing."

Despite such incidents, a widely held opinion among the hikers that NewmarketToday spoke to -- both with dogs and without -- was that some dogs can be trusted to be let off the leash, while others cannot. They said the onus is on owners to know their dog and be attentive and keep it under control.

"It can happen anywhere, I was bitten in my neighbourhood. It was a rescue dog," said Dianne Stevens. "There are just some dogs that are not suited to be off-leash and with inattentive owners."

But many hikers said that having a trail where people who want to let their dogs run would be a good compromise between the many people who feel the need to let their dogs run and those who want to see dogs kept on leashes at all times.

Even the Koffler Scientific Reserve, which owns and maintains the Jokers Hill Hiking Trails, voiced support for an off-leash trail.

This has also been a persistent problem on KSR's trails... More official off leash dog areas would help dog owners and non-owners alike.

Posted by Koffler Scientific Reserve at Jokers Hill on Wednesday, 3 February 2021

The first question most people had would be where such a trail would be located. Agnes Masiukiewicz felt a forested conservation area was an obvious choice.

"I think some of the conservation areas have pathways that would be a beautiful place for dogs to be able to run, and there are no cars so it would be safe for dogs," she said.

But Cathy Liberatore worried about the safety and environmental impact of allowing dogs to run free through a forest.

"An off-leash dog trail seems to go against the grain of trying to keep your dog safe, that would be my concern. That's why they have fenced-in dog parks, but a trail? I just don't know. It also impacts the wildlife, which is already affected by all of the development," Liberatore said. "I don't think that's feasible."

Marchant said that whatever location is selected, it will be important that everyone understands that this is the place you go to walk your dog off-leash.

"I know there are people who are afraid of dogs, so I would want the location to be somewhere it would be very clear what it was, that it was a place for people with dogs, and everybody knows it."