Downtown Ottawa Residents Look to City for Action Following Dog Attack in Off-Leash Park
Locals describe a need for fencing and better signage in MacDonald Gardens Park.
Stephanie Thompson, 28 February 2022
MacDonald Gardens Park is partially off-leash, as noted by the signage posted. (Photo: Stephanie Thompson)
Amber Montgomery and her two dogs, Bella and Lucious, no longer feel safe in MacDonald Gardens Park.
On Monday, February 7, 2022, Amber witnessed a dog attack while walking through the off-leash area of the Lowertown park. She describes seeing “what looked like a bigger dog coming at an owner and a smaller dog that was sort of playing there, and it got really aggressive really quickly… you could hear dog screams, you could hear yelps and then you could hear [people] crying for help.”
In an email statement, Constable Amy Gagnon confirmed that Ottawa Police responded to this incident at the dog park, where one person sustained injuries. In an email statement from City of Ottawa By-law and Regulatory Servies (BLRS), Acting Director Tania McCumber said that “in the interest of public safety, the dogs are being held and BLRS is currently investigating the matter.”
"The recent string of attacks that have happened there - I just don’t trust other people. I’m constantly looking over my shoulder, worrying about something bad that’s going to happen."
- Amber Montgomery, downtown Ottawa resident
In the same email statement, McCumber confirmed that there has been an increase in reports of dog bites/attacks across Ottawa from 2020 to 2021.
Maëva Leblanc, owner of Destination Trained, sees “a lot of pandemic puppies and... lack of socialisation” in her dog training business.
“At first it’s like, ‘oh my God, cute puppy’… then it becomes a big issue when you have your 70 pound lab pulling you down the street.”
Beyond the issue of individual dog socialisation, residents of the area have numerous ideas as to how the City could improve things for all park-goers.
Ron Smyth is a retired University of Toronto professor who frequents the off-leash area with his chihuahua, Tico. Tico was the victim of dog aggression in MacDonald Gardens Park in late summer 2021. Smyth feels that the signage in the park could be made clearer.
“There’s a little 5 by 5 inch sign way up high on a pole that has a picture of a dog and a line through it, it’s like, that’s not going to register,” Ron said.
The signage along the central park path indicates that dogs are not permitted on the east side of the park. (Photo: Stephanie Thompson)
“I think when you go to an off-leash park, you’re accepting the responsibility that your dog is under your control regardless of being on a leash or not and that your dog is socialised to other dogs and not going to cause any problems.”
- Ron Smyth, retired University of Toronto professor.
“If they’re going to make an off-leash dog park in the middle of a city, they should put a fence around it. It only makes sense for safety reasons for dogs and for anybody in the neighbourhood,” Amber stated.
Maëva echoed the need for fencing and also suggested “two sections, a small dog section and a medium-to-large dog section.”
For the moment, despite the importance of off-leash time for her two dogs, Amber is steering clear of the park.
“I walk around with two pretty big scary-looking dogs, and I’ve been scared the last couple weeks. That’s not something I have felt in a really long time.”