As the City of Castlegar continues the process of researching best practices for its dog park, Millennium Park users are being asked to fill out a survey based on their experiences.
Specifically, the city is looking for people’s experiences sharing Millennium Park & Ponds with dogs and their guardians. They are seeking input from those that use the dog parks, live nearby, or visit the park for other reasons.
The city says the goal is to understand how the park is functioning, both in spaces shared with dogs and other park users, as well as the dog parks themselves.
Earlier in 2023, a group of neighbours and park users brought complaints to city council about noise, dog attacks and aggressive behaviour of dogs and their owners at and around the dog park. They lobbied for the closure of the park.
Council decided to leave the dog park open. But in an effort to see neighbourhood concerns addressed, council directed staff to explore the costs associated with increasing animal control enforcement, patrols and education. They also asked staff to develop a report on best practices used by other municipalities in their dog parks and suggest local mitigation measures.
This survey is one step in that process. It can be found at castlegar.ca/dogparks. A paper version is available at City Hall.
The survey closes May 24.
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