Towns and local organizations have some useful information to help
Valley dog owners navigate these questions. Fayston, Moretown, Warren
and Waitsfield each have dog ordinances that regulate canines in the
community. Each town requires that every dog owner secure their dog
within their own home or land when not on a leash or "under the control
of a competent and responsible attendant." The ordinances state that it
is "unlawful" for a dog to run or "be at large" within the town. To "be
at large" means that the dog is off the owner's land and not under the
control of a person by leash, cord, chain or other means.
Town lands, which also comprise a significant portion of the Mad River
Path, do not allow dogs to run at large. The Mad River Path Association
asks that all dogs be leashed on the path to comply with the town
ordinance, as well as to respect the wishes of their cooperating
landowners.
"Landowners in The Valley are the reason we have the Mad River Path for
the public to enjoy. The path crosses a lot of town land as well as
private land and those landowners have asked that dogs be on leash when
on their property. We respect their request, and so we ask that dog
owners also be mindful of the landowners' wishes," says Autumn Foushee,
Mad River Path Association director.
"Dogs are fun-loving, athletic animals that require space to exercise;
however, if a dog isn't easily controlled, letting it off-leash in a
public park or path can be dangerous for the dog, other dogs, livestock
and wildlife, surrounding landowners and citizens," she continued.
Karen Anderson, owner and veterinarian at Mad River Veterinary Service
in Fayston, said the most important thing is to understand a dog, and
understand the liability of the towns in public places like the path.
"There have been goats killed or maimed, dog fights, people bitten, and
farmer's crops damaged from dogs off-leash and not under the control of
their owners," said Anderson. "These are examples that explain why towns
establish leash and voice control rules for public places."
Town lands do not allow dogs to be unleashed and not under complete
control of the owner. The Mad River Path follows the town's ordinance
and also asks that dogs be leashed to respect landowners. State parks
also do not allow dogs to be off-leash. National forests require dogs to
be leashed in developed recreation areas. Currently, there are no
established public places in The Valley specifically for dogs to be
off-leash.
For many dog owners in The Valley, it's important to have a place where
dogs can exercise off-leash. "I believe that dogs need unstructured time
to run, play, and be free from the leash. Especially with other dogs,
so they can release all that crazy canine energy in positive ways. It
would be great to have a community-supported path or park, reasonably
safe from cars, for dog owners and dogs who share this philosophy," says
Dan Holtz, co-founder of Liz Lovely Cookies.
Another topic that towns, like Warren, often address in dog ordinances
is feces. The bottom line is that it's always best to pick up after the
pooch. Dog waste is considered a significant source of non-point
pollution in many areas. A single gram of dog waste can contain many
pathogens and parasites including <MI>E. coli,<D> heartworm,
whipworm, hookworm, roundworm, tapeworm, giardia, and salmonella.
Researchers have found that just two to three days of waste from 100
dogs can affect water quality in a small watershed to the extent that it
is considered unsafe for recreation. Considering that 4 out of every 10
households own at least one dog, waste can quickly become a water
quality issue. Studies in Morro Bay, California, found that bacteria
from dog waste accounts for more than 10 percent of the total bacteria
loads in waterways.
"A common misconception people have is that it is not important to clean
up after dogs in rural areas like the Mad River Valley. Considering
there is high 'dog traffic' in places like the Mad River Path, which is
along the river, the problem becomes much more concentrated and
localized, and the potential for significant contamination is there,"
says Caitrin Noel, director of Friends of the Mad River.
"Friends of the Mad River has been monitoring bacteria for 25 years, and
we have found consistently higher levels of bacteria in downstream
areas of the watershed (Waitsfield and Moretown), and these areas are
listed as 'impaired' for bacteria because they do not meet state water
quality criteria. Part of the problem could be dog waste."
In an effort to provide information about local dog regulations and to
create discussion about options for a public off-leash area for dogs,
the Mad River Path Association will host the Valley Dog Owners Summit on
June 15 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Waitsfield Elementary School
gymnasium. All are welcome to attend. For more information, contact
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