Councillor pleased with awareness of dog issue; hopes for solution

I read with great interest the letters to the editor in last week’s edition of the Yarmouth Vanguard. (Editor's Note: the letters were in response to an article about the town pondering a dog ban on Main Street.)

It should be no surprise to anyone that we have a problem in the downtown area and I have personally received numerous complaints from people regarding the loitering and dogs. Unfortunately they have been just that, complaints, with very few creative or constructive suggestions on how to deal with the matter.

At a recent council meeting, while brainstorming on this issue, there was discussion regarding the possibility of imposing a restriction on dogs in the downtown core. The discussion led to a request that staff bring forward information which might assist council in making a determination on the merits of such a restriction.

A key component to developing any standards or bylaws is the public participation process, and it is at that stage that both sides are invited to express their point of view. Obviously there are opinions on both sides of the issue, and several of those have been expressed in your newspaper. If one were to consider the downtown core to be similar to a large outdoor mall, it might bring another perspective to the matter. Shopping malls do not have a dog problem, because dogs are not normally welcomed, and visitors do not normally bring them along. Working dogs are an obvious exception.

As a dog owner myself, I am conscious of the fact that although my pets are extremely gentle, they may still seem intimidating to others. I am also painfully aware of the other problem they present. It is for these reasons that I would choose not to bring my pets to the downtown area.

I am extremely pleased that our discussion at council has raised the level of awareness and inspired the public to discuss this matter. Hopefully this will equate to some positive solutions being brought forward. That is exactly what I would hope would be accomplished.

Esther Dares,

Yarmouth