Reacting to complaints that some dog owners are haphazardly allowing their pets to roam free, off leashes, the Rye Town Park Commission mulled its options Monday for increased enforcement, or new guidelines.
By Jon Craig
Reacting to complaints that some dog owners are haphazardly allowing their pets to roam free, off leashes, the Rye Town Park Commission mulled its options Monday for increased enforcement, or new guidelines.
It’s currently against State and City law to let dogs loose in area parks, Rye Town Supervisor Joe Carvin said. “Dogs have to be on a leash at all times,’’ he said at Monday’s Park Commission meeting.
Carvin said park workers issued 1,000 advisory notices warning about dogs off leashes last year, and in many cases were treated rudely by the pet owners.
Rye City Councilwoman Laura Brett volunteered to ask the City Council to consider allowing dogs to be allowed to be unleashed in City parks, including Rye Town Park, during specific hours of the day. “Local law can supersede New York State law.”
Brett said dog owners “feel entitled because they’ve done it for so many years. They feel they’re treated like criminals for having doges off leash.”
Carvin responded, “If we can’t find a solution, then we need to find an enforcement solution.’’ Carvin told Brett he’d give serious consideration to allowing dogs being unleashed in during certain early morning hours in Rye Town Park if the Rye City Council agreed to adopt a local law that extended to other City of Rye parks.
Rye resident Deidre Curran, who owns a dog-walking business, told the Park Commission that she has to regularly clean up after other owners’ dogs at Rye Town Park. “I see dogs that are out of control . . . Those of us that are responsible are upset. Try to work with us. Please don’t throw all of us under the bus.’’
On a positive note, Rye Town Park doesn’t have as extensive a “goose poop problem,’’ as other coastal parks because of the presence of dogs, Curran snapped.
In other business, the Commission set summer parking and beach fees and hours of operation for 2013. The Park Commission’s next monthly meeting is at 6 p.m. March 19 in the Town of Rye Courtroom, 3rd floor, 10 Pearl St., Port Chester.
