Dog park plan gets approval

SANDPOINT — Dogs on leashes will be allowed in Lakeview Park for a five-month trial period, City Council members decided this week.

The city council adopted the ordinance that includes a requirement that dog owners pick up after their pets on city streets, sidewalks and rights of way.

The park leash decision drew wide support, but it was not without its detractors.

Council member Carrie Logan supported the pick-up amendment, but asked that the parks allowance be stricken from the ordinance.

“I am not in support of using city parks to allow dogs on leashes,” Logan said.

She asked whether the new law would be enforced by city police.

“It’s not unenforceable,” Sandpoint Police Chief Mark Lockwood, said. “But with the current manpower, it will be hit and miss.”

Lockwood compared enforcement of the dog potty and leash law and other dog ordinances in the city to triage.

“When we can get to it, we do,” he said.

Addressing criticism that his officers seldom write dog-related citations, Lockwood said his officers don’t shy away from ticketing dog owners for violations.

“They write dog-at-large citations, vicious-dog, nuisance-dog citations all the time,” he said. “We have written several dog-in-park citations over the past five years.”

Veterinarian Susan Keller said regardless whether dog feces are picked up immediately, the eggs of roundworm and other parasites are deposited posing a danger to children and adults.

In addition, she said, people get bitten by dogs whether or not the animals are leashed.

“Even a leashed dog can cause bites,” she said. “It’s not harming the dogs not to be there.”

Logan’s motion fizzled however in the face of widespread support from the public and council. The remaining five council members supported the five-month plan initiated by a group called “A More Dog Friendly Sandpoint,” and dog owner Mandy Evans.

Evans countered critics by noting that the risk of infection from cleaned-up dog poop is minimal, and that the city already allows leashed dogs in streets and on sidewalks where the likelihood of being bitten is no greater than in the park.

“Dogs and people interact every day,” she said. “I don’t think the risk should take away the proposal.”

Before approval of the ordinance by a 5-1 council vote, member John Reuter said the dog group will be required to return to council after five months to determine if the trial period was a success. If it is deemed that pet owners haven’t acted responsibly by cleaning up after their pets, or had them unleashed in Lakeview, the ordinance would be suspended.

“I will not resist to not extend this if we see complaints,” Reuter said.