Oak Bay may make dogs a priority with a handful of pup owners scratching at the door for a fenced park.
A delegation offered its petition of 118 signatures calling for the park behind municipal hall to become a gated and fenced dog park.
A piece of vacant land at the University of Victoria, long used to let dogs roam free, became off-limits to the public in March 2020 citing health restrictions. The school is evaluating how that land will be used and has not reopened it to the public.
It left hundreds of Greater Victoria dog owners who frequented Cedar Hill corner in search of off-leashed areas to let their pups roam.
READ ALSO: Damage unleashed on sensitive Oak Bay park as dog popularity rises
The next year saw a crackdown on off-leash pets in the federal bird sanctuary that stretches across coastal waters of the south Island, including Oak Bay.
In 2021, Saanich created a pilot project for pop-up dog parks with five sites - citing success, it upped that number to nine in 2022.
Oak Bay may not have the spaces to host such pup-up initiatives, but it could offer one small space suitable for pups and small dogs, resident Penny Blackhall said.
Cochrane’s Common, named for former municipal administrator William (Bill) Cochrane, is already designated a dog-friendly space and would be far better utilized fenced and gated, she told council, sitting as committee of the whole Jan. 16.
Areas for dog play have been severely curtailed, she said, noting the limitations at UVic and the waterfront, and not all dogs do well in an unfenced area such as those available at Windsor and Lafayette parks. Both have adjacent traffic.
“We realize that Cochrane’s Common is a small area, but for smaller dogs or puppies it would be a great place to exercise or play,” Blackhall said, adding the park is under-utilized and adjacent to the pup-friendly businesses of the village.
“We aren’t suggesting losing any dog park space, we’ve lost far too much already. What we hope is this is the beginning of a trend for our new council to support … dog owners in our community.”
READ ALSO: Environment ministry cracks down on dogs to protect migratory birds in Greater Victoria
The call for more dog-friendly spaces isn’t new to Oak Bay council. They’ve heard from residents looking to use Willows Beach during the ban on dogs that runs May through September, and heard from a consultant on the uptick of dog use impacting Uplands Park in 2021.
Council previously identified two initiatives to consider as part priority planning on Feb. 6 when they plan to whittle down to potential projects. Staff plan to provide preliminary information on both dog-use policies and options for off-leash dogs in Oak Bay. Staff anticipate it would include short- and long-term considerations.
For more news delivered daily into your inbox, please click here.