Carlton to draft new leash law

After discussing dogs and a potential dog park for an hour, Carlton City Council members on Tuesday asked the city to draft a rule requiring canines to be leashed at all times in public spaces throughout the town.

City Manager Shannon Beaucaire said the process will take some time, and a council vote on the ordinance is not expected to be on next month’s agenda.

Currently, there is no prohibition against allowing dogs to run free in Wennerberg Park, the city’s largest open public space that borders the North Yamhill River. Leashes are required in Ladd Park in the center of downtown. Other parks are not addressed in city code.

Wennerberg is used by numerous dog owners, many of whom let their dogs run free, council members said. But sometimes owners don’t pick up their messes, even from the baseball field, said Mayor Linda Watkins, who often handles that duty herself.

Free-running dogs, even those that are friendly, can scare people and may even knock them over in their enthusiasm, some council members said. They mentioned being told that some families don’t use the park because of loose dogs.

Councilor Susan Turrell, who proposed adding the comprehensive leash requirement, said the Yamhill Carlton Elementary School playfield also is frequently used as if it were a dog park.

Although signs state dogs are not allowed on the campus, many dog owners go there frequently to let their animals run, said Turrell, who lives nearby. She speculated that ending the free running in Wennerberg would drive more dog owners to the school property.

Perhaps the school district would allow the city to use the field as a dog park, she suggested, under a fee-based arrangement with the city.

Councilors also discussed fencing a portion of Wennerberg as a designated dog park in the future. If the city creates a dog park, councilor Grant Erickson said, it doesn’t necessarily need to be small and doesn’t have to be in the park.

Costs to create a dog park were not discussed Tuesday night.

The mayor, an outspoken advocate for dogs, said she doesn’t like dog parks because they smell and don’t really provide enough space for multiple canines.

But councilor Shirley Ward-Mullin said a free-range area is needed. She said several times that dogs need space to run on a regular basis.

Ward-Mullin and other council members said dog owners must be responsible for cleaning up messes as well as controlling their pets, so they don’t hurt others or run where they aren’t wanted.

She suggested an educational campaign about dog owners’ responsibilities.

Ward-Mullin also suggested talking to other cities with dog parks, such as McMinnville, about the pros and cons of having such a facility. She also suggested the council invite a dog behavior expert to speak during an upcoming meeting.