Like the K-9 star of the ’60s and ’70s kids’ TV show The Littlest Hobo, a City of Richmond dog park is finding it difficult to settle down and call some place home.
Shunned by residents around Dover Park and now, seemingly, getting the same cold shoulder from the folks living near its new temporary home at McCallum Park, the 1,200 square metre off-leash area with no name is finding life tough on the streets of Richmond.
A proposed pilot off-leash park in South Arm is also causing consternation among some locals who’ve raised a near-500 signature petition against it.
And like their fellow citizens in South Arm, it’s the lack of consultation that’s sending the residents near the new location on the Railway Greenway, north of Burnett secondary, barking mad.
“I’m an engaged citizen; I read all the local papers, I look at the public notices, I take part in the city’s surveys, then I go out back to barbecue and there’s two dogs (copulating),” exclaimed Don Stutt, whose Turquoise Drive home backs onto McCallum Park and is about 50 yards from the re-located off-leash area.
“I knew absolutely nothing about this park going in and now I can’t hear myself think for all the yappy little dogs shouting at the big dogs.
“It used be very tranquil around here, save for the sound of people walking by now and again and, occasionally, parents and grandparents playing with their children.”
Stutt, who’s been a dog owner most of his life until his last pet passed away two years ago, is, he says, very much an animal lover.
But it’s the “lack of transparency and communication” from the city that’s ticking him off.
So much so, that he’s complained to the city and enlisted the help of Coun. Chak Au, whose “your voice on council” ad in a local newspaper caught Stutt’s eye.
“He said ‘available for you’ in his ad, so I called him up,” said Stutt.
“The councillor said he’s had other similar complaints and he’s going to speak to city staff and other council members.”
Au didn’t return the News calls by the time of going to press.
Stutt said if, after the city consults the neighbourhood, people are OK with the park’s location, then he’ll just have to put up with it.
“It’s when you spring things on people that they get mad,” he added.
City of Richmond spokesperson Ted Townsend confirmed there was no specific consultation with the residents in that area.
However, added Townsend, the city had direction from council to look at new off-leash dog parks and to spread them geographically throughout Richmond to address the growing need for dog owners and their pets.
“All the new dog parks are pilot projects and there will be ongoing consultation with the public and changes can be made subject to the input we receive,” Townsend said in an email to the News.
Those changes can include removal of the off-leash park if need be; as was the case with Dover Park, where a total of 167 residents complained about noise, unsightliness of the chain link fence and parking issues.
