Mayor Lisa Helps and the City of Victoria Council have recently voted to spend $60,000 to build a fence at Dallas Road that will separate people from dogs.

Currently, Dallas Road is the only unencumbered off-leash park in the city of Victoria. Stretching from Douglas Street to Clover Point, this unique park is well-loved by dog owners and dog lovers, and is visited by hundreds of people every day.

However, when staff recommended that the City build a fence to separate running dogs from traffic, City Council instead voted to build a fence to separate off-leash dogs and their owners from the path along Dallas Road. This decision will impact thousands of dog owners in the region.

If City Council must build a fence, we ask that they do so with safety in mind, and separate dogs and children from traffic on Dallas Road. Complaints about dogs playing on the path have declined in recent years, but if City Council is concerned about conflict between dogs playing and people jogging, they could make the fields safe for dogs to play in instead. Trimming the spear grass is one example, and a fence along the road is another.

Please sign the petition asking the City of Victoria to reconsider their plan.