Thereused to beanobviousconflictregarding pet leash rules betweentheWaynesville CityOrdinanceon leash lawsand the bylaws of theCity ParkBoard. The park board bylaws communicatedthat youcould have your dog on a leash or control by voice command. Thatincluded Laughlin and RoubidouxParks, which are connected andrun alongRoubidoux Creek. The city ordinance statedpetsmustalways be on a leash without reference to any exclusions.
Waynesville city parks receive a great number of visitors from all over the county and beyond. There has been expansion to the parks which is attracting more visitors.
“We came up with thefollowing solutions to keep everyone in mind,” stated Mayor Wilson.
In the park there is a leashed area and a leashed voice command area. In more condensed areas such as the walking trails, dogs must be on a leash. “It’simportant that all patrons feelsafe whenvisiting our parks,” commented Mayor Wilson.“We want everyone to use the walking trails, we do not want people to be deterred from using the trails if they see dogs loose. There are people whoare anxiousabout dogs. There isa widearray of our constituents that are in different positions on how they view loose animals. This makes it safer for everyone.”
Another area of the park was created for petowners whowant to throw a ballor frisbee fortheir dogtorun andretrieve. Thismore open area isthe leashedand voicecommand area.
If a pet owner is caught violating the leash law the owner will receive a fine of $50.50 for an “animal at large.”
Last fall the cityofficiallyupdated its local leash law to clarifythisdiscrepancy in our city parks. The city park receives a lot of visitors. With that being said, Mayor Wilsonexpectseven more patrons in our city parksand wantsto ensure safety is first andforemosta priority.
North Benton Street in Waynesville Roubidoux Park is the dividing line between the leash mandated area and the optional leashed orvoice command area. All the park areas which are west of North BentonStreet and the trials require a leash because of the congestion. The open fields to the east can be used for leash orvoice command control when the field is not being utilized for sporting events. We believe this will be the best course of action to keep our citizens safe. The exactverbiageis below.
Any person bringing a pet into the Roubidoux or Laughlin Park shall abide by the following:
All pets shall be leashed when located west of North Benton Street. This includes all of Laughlin Park, all play areas and the Walking Trail.
Pets may be either leashed or controlled by voice command in areas located east of North Benton Street, to include the athletic fields, areas in front or beside the Waste Water Treatment Plant.
Any person bringing a pet into the Roubidoux or Laughlin Park shall pick up and properly dispose of all solid waste deposited by that pet.
Any person convicted of violating the provisions of this ordinance shall, for each such conviction, suffer a penalty based upon the current Uniform Fine Schedule for Municipal Offenses, as it pertains to such violation(s) and may be amended, to include court costs, from time to time.
Any person bringing a pet into any park shall pick up and properly dispose of all solid waste deposited by that pet.
An individual should never approach a dog they do not know, regardless of how friendly the dog may act. If the dog bites, it is not the dog’s fault. It may feel threatened or feel its person is threatened. If a dog is seen withoutthe owner nearby, call the non-emergency line at 573-774-2414. The operator will direct the call.
Now get out there and enjoy our city’s parks with your best friend.
