To the editor;

Lately there have been several complaints about dogs being off leash in Barriere. People have written to the Star/Journal and also started conversation threads on the Barriere and Area Happenings Facebook page. What I see and hear is a lot of complaining about dogs being off leash but no real solutions. So I decided to do some research and here is what I have found.

First, I went to the District of Barriere at the Ridge and spoke with the By-laws enforcement officer to inquire what by-laws there were regarding dogs off leash in Barriere. Here is what I found:

• The District of Barriere has a website which can be found at www.barriere.ca. On the main page there is a heading called District Services. Click on that, then Click on Bylaw Enforcement. You will then see a section on Animal Control. There is says there is no animal control officer but should you have a complaint, you can contact Tasha Buchanan, Bylaw Enforcement at 250-672-9751. She can enforce a complaint on excessive barking or if a dog is an ongoing nuisance. However, there is really not much she can do regarding a dog off leash since there are no existing leash laws in Barriere. However, if you call during business hours regarding a dog off leash that is bothering you, she can come down to speak to the owner. Just so you know, if you are only complaining because you SEE a dog off leash and the dog is not really bothering you there is not much Tasha can do because there ARE no leash laws at this time.

If you see a dog off leash and it makes you uncomfortable, then turn around and walk the other way. This was the suggestion that Tasha made in light of the fact that there are no leash laws at present. I realize that most people will not like this suggestion but it is an alternative.

Secondly, you CAN do something about the leash laws. You can attend the District meetings and propose a well thought out change to the Bylaws regarding Animal Control. Don’t just complain, have a solution.

Lastly, the District has land designated for use as an off leash dog park. According to Tasha, the off leash area has been designated for quite some time but it will require someone or some group to step forward to follow through with it.

So please, please. If you are unhappy with the situation at present, either do something about it or stop complaining. Complaining doesn’t fix the problem. And for those of you who think just because I wrote a Letter to the Editor that I should take the lead on this, I have no problem with the current laws, just with all the complaining. And I did something about it. Now the ball is in your court.

Dawn McCormick

Barriere, B.C.

Learn More: District of Barriere corrects letter writer, says dogs must be leashed in Barriere Parks