The dangerous dog in question that killed a dog had been causing issues for many years. The dog owner neglected to take the necessary measures, over multiple incidents, even with calls to the RCMP and to them directly. No doubt it was a very hard lesson.

I agree that there can be people who could needlessly curtail our enjoyment of our pets in public areas, such as the beach. Yet, given what I know about the continued escalation and refusal of the dog owner to take necessary steps, I honestly feel some form of a dog ordinance is needed.

Since I have been on the planet for some decades, I have observed the rise in dog ownership and certain behaviors that one would never see, for most of my life. When I raised my family we mostly had 2 dogs and 2 cats. The pets stayed home, period! When traveling, etc., we had house/pet sitters. Pets are not children, they don't belong everywhere we go. But that attitude has changed dramatically in recent years!

I no longer have pets due to my husband's allergies. I miss them. Yet, I also don't want every dog I see in public coming up to me, that makes me feel unsafe.

What happened to telling your dog to sit and stay?

What's actually needed is education and training for "some" dog owners. Who is up for educating folks in proper care and training of island dogs? Perhaps as a micro-grant, offering?

This is an emotional place for me, as one could easily see that the situation that occurred that brought us to this place was clearly avoidable and therefore all the more tragic, pitting neighbors against one another etc.

It actually seems a small price to pay so folks can continue to enjoy their pets on the beach. There are consequences that we share when one of us in the community does not do their part, as we know some dog owners did so poorly. So I see a dog ordinance as that consequence. And will others be inconvenienced, yes! This is the reality we find ourselves in. I find an ordinance the best solution.

I also trust that the entity that is established to enforce the by-law will quickly figure out how to navigate any frivolous complaints that seem to be at the heart of the dialogue being used and communicated, at present in protest to adopting a by-law. Again the reality is that as a community we asked for this after the initial incident (s) that not only resulted in the loss of a loved pet, but also an innocent Horse, of all things!

May we mutually find a solution and live well, safely and enjoy the pleasure of our pets together!

For now, I will leave the topic of Wolves from the discussion, that is a whole other can of worms.

Know your pet and its comfort with people and conduct yourself accordingly. There are many wonderful dogs on Cortes that I don't feel need the leash protection and yet there are also aggressive dogs that make many of us feel unsafe in our daily lives.

Do the right thing for our time: 2024 and adopt the Dog Control by-law, aka Phoebe's Law.
Rebeka