News 2008

posted June 26, 2008

Dog owners be aware, Giambrone's office has unleashed By Law officers

Isaac Meyer wrote:

Hello Neighbours,

I know that many of you are dog owners so I just wanted to pass on a heads up that the city's by law enforcement is targeting Ward 18 for any off leash dogs. I just received a $260 fine for having my dog off leash in McCormick field in the pouring rain at 8:30am when there was absolutely no one else was there.

The By Law officer did provide me with some background. It seems that Councillor Giambrone's office has insisted that the city should be patrolling and enforcing a no-tolerance ticketing of the parks in this area. Apparently, Ward 18 is the only ward in the city that does not have a designated off leash area which makes us easy pickings for collecting lucrative $260 fines.

I am aware that McCormick is not a designated off leash area and in the eyes of a No Tolerance policy I am on the wrong side of the law, however I do question the spirit of such a policy. It seems almost cruel to target a single dog owner who is making use of empty patch of public space when no one else could be harmed or disturbed by it and to be saddled with $260 fine.

Anyway, this is not necessarily a forum to address this issue. My main intent in the message is to let other dog owners know about the targeting that is going on and to watch out for the big white city by- law pickup truck.

Be careful out there,

posted on June 26, 2008

City dog-bylaw officers have been unleashed on our parks to hound canine lovers and stop Rover from roving

By: MIKE STROBEL
Published: June 11, 2008
Source: Toronto Sun

There's a big stink at Ashbridge's Bay. And I don't just mean the sewage plant.

Such a peaceful park, too, especially when, like yesterday, mist rolls over Woodbine Beach and turns the basswoods a satin grey.

But menace hides in those trees and in the long grass and along the sandy trails.

"I'm looking over my shoulder all the time," says Krisy Tengberg, 49, walking her yellow Lab, Max.

"You never know when they're going to jump out of the bushes."

Tension is so high, the locals have taken to wearing whistles to warn each other.

"They're too aggressive," says Harry Kitamura, 67, who ought to know. He's a retired tax auditor.

"They can't go pushing people around like this."

They? American tourists? Druggies? Canada geese?

No. City dog-bylaw officers.

The Leash Police.

This spring, they have descended like sea gulls on Ashbridge's Bay, Sackville Park and other green patches.

CAMERAS, GPS

They are armed with binoculars, cameras, GPS and ticket books. They prowl in pickup trucks.

Let Rover rove at your peril. A leash violation costs 260 bucks.

Krisy got dinged one cool, damp morn two weeks ago.

It was 8 a.m., no one was about and she figured, what the hell, Max needs a run. So she turned him loose.

Bam! Two bylaw officers, apparently staked out by the tennis courts, screeched up in their white pickup.

She says they summonsed her and added: "If you warn anyone else we're here, we'll double the fine."

A few juicy words were exchanged and Krisy leashed Max. The officers, known locally as Frick and Frack, drove off.

Next thing, Krisy heard "Leave me alone!" from the rocky point on the west end of the beach.

The voice belonged to a regular park-goer, a 70ish Vietnam vet with leukemia.

His Lab, Rocky, was leashed. But the Pooch Patrol said something as they passed the old soldier. He suggested they buzz off, or words to that effect.

I wish I could say that was that. But there is bad blood in Ashbridge's Bay Park.

The two officers piled out of their truck.

Krisy and Harry (who was up a nearby hillock) both say the bylaw officers grabbed the man and marched him across the beach.

A passing bicycle cop cooled things out. No charges were filed.

But why the hell are city bylaw officers browbeating a war vet who has leukemia? No matter what he said to them.

Harry says he went over to tell the bike cop what he'd seen. One of the bylaw officers instantly turned to Harry and demanded to see his dog Bogey's tag.

Well, you have to admire the zeal.

I know what some of you are thinking. Break the law, even slightly, and you pay the price. But what of common sense?

How'd you like to be pulled over for driving 101 klicks on the 401?

"If there's people around, I wouldn't dream of letting my dog off-leash," says Joanne Nelson. She walks Jack, her terrier, and Quilla, a Doberman, at Sackville Park.

She's fighting two tickets from the Leash Police.

"This is heavy-handed and authoritarian," she says.

Neighbour Gary Helps says a bylaw officer has vowed to catch him with his pup un-leashed.

"I have had to duck down back alleys and side streets ... I am being hunted and hounded as if I were a criminal."

Another Corktowner, Steve Behal, suggests a moratorium on tickets until the city can organize more off-leash parks.

I call the bylaw officers, who put me on to media relations, who put me on to the top dog, parks director Paul Ronan.

"When you get pulled over for speeding or something, you're never happy to get a ticket," says Ronan.

"It's a very difficult situation for our officers. They're simply responding to complaints in an area about off-leash dogs and I believe they're doing their very best."

HERCULEAN VIGOR

Yes. They are doing their jobs with herculean vigor.

I wonder if there is a better way for the city to spend the money and energy it takes to hound dog-lovers.

Like capping the stench from the sewage plant.

Now, that would make Ashbridge's Bay a better park.

Content last modified on June 10, 2013, at 06:27 PM EST