Dog Park Companions asked the Hastings City Council Monday to amend it’s agreement with them to increase the three dog limit per person at the park up to four dogs per person.

 

Leslie Sitzer, representing the Companions, asked for a number of changes to the agreement with the city. There are other issues in the agreement for future changes; bringing its winter hours in line with the city, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., require harnesses and collars be fitted and tight, and require all dogs be vaccinated, but for now, the request was just for four dogs, she said.

 

“The key is responsibility and respect for other owners… we want support for all,” she said. The dog park is a place for socializing, meeting new people, getting the dogs needed exercise and it should be open for all, she said. It’s important, one supporter said, and in the worst case, the city should assume control of the park.

 

Those opposed to the increase from three dogs to four, including some council members, said handling more than two dogs that are being aggressive is impossible, even two dogs will pack up and challenge a new dog in its territory, causing problems for their handlers and possible injury to dogs and people.

 

After discussion about the difficulty one person would have controlling multiple dogs at the park, the council voted to reduce the number of dog a person can bring to the park to two.

Council members Bill Cusack, Brenda McNabb-Stange, Bill Redman, John Resseguie, Donald Bowers and David Tossava voted for allowing just two dogs per person at the park; Al Jarvis, Therese Maupin-Moore and Don Smith voted against reducing the number to two.

 

The discussion brought up a number of issues to be looked into by city staff including: A copy of the by-laws, if they do have them; do they, or should they, follow parliamentary procedures; information on when the group meets; who votes on rules changes for the park; how rules could be enforced; how an out of state visitor could be checked for vaccination of a dog; which dog should be segregated in a canine dispute and if the dog park is open to anyone or just Hastings citizens.

 

Jarvis suggested a look at the entire structure of the dog park agreement, saying the group’s structure seems, “a little “loose-y-goose-y.”