Jonny Leonidas
On a clear Thursday morning, a herd of dogs rush to the Town Field on Waverly Street for their daily, 7 a.m. meet-up. A crowd of doodles, Portuguese water dogs, corgis, and other canines hurdle towards the center of the field as their owners follow closely behind.
“For dogs that are well-trained and well-behaved, it’s a great way to exercise,” said Belmont resident Scott Ferson, who is out with his goldendoodle, Willa.
But the days of dogs running freely at Belmont town fields could be coming to an end.
On Monday, August 14, the Belmont Recreation Commission will consider whether to suspend the off-leash dog program after recent injuries and field damage. The public is invited to attend the virtual meeting.
The commission, a nine-member, appointed group, sets policies and fees in coordination with the Recreation Department staff.
While Belmont doesn’t have any designated dog parks, dogs can run off-leash at Town Field, Grove Street Field, Winn Brook Field, and Pequossette (PQ) Park if their owners buy a $50 annual permit from the Recreation Department.
This year, the department has issued 114 permits, while the Town Clerk says 1,737 dogs are licensed in Belmont. The Recreation Department says the off-leash program is hard to oversee, because it seems like everyone lets their dogs run off-leash in the parks, with or without a permit.
At the commission’s July 31 meeting, Animal Care and Control Officer Suzanne Trasavage said that dogs damage town fields by digging large holes and leaving droppings behind.
Some of those holes have reportedly been linked to injuries and a dog recently bit a woman at PQ Park, according to the Recreation Department.
“There’s approximately one body injury per field per year,” said Trasavage. “That’s a lot!”
Commission Chair Paul Cowing said Town Field is in such bad shape that Belmont Soccer might find a new home.
Mr. Hoppers’ close call
Concerns over off-leash dogs have also revved up on the Belmont Parents Group Facebook page.
Belmont childcare teacher Kimberly Blinn wrote that her 12-year-old daughter, Kaitlynn, had a run-in with a dog at Town Field while Kaitlynn was sitting with her leashed emotional support bunny, Mr. Hoppers.
“[The] dog ran towards it in an attacking manner. The dog was not on a leash and the owner of the dog did nothing to control it,” Blinn wrote.
In an interview with The Belmont Voice, Blinn said Kaitlynn and the bunny were still shaking from the encounter after they came home.
“She was crying and she was afraid,” said Blinn.
Blinn also said Kaitlynn worried that the dog was going to eat the bunny and her daughter would’ve blamed herself.
Dozens of people responded to Blinn’s Facebook post, including Michael Dobrinski, who wrote: “…off leash dogs should be illegal except in fenced dog parks.”
But others are supporting the off-leash option.
Rava Burgess wrote: “While I understand your frustration, dog owners pay, every year, to allow their dogs off leash at specific parks… My suggestion would be to take your bunny to another park that is not an off leash area.“
Ferson told The Belmont Voice that the dog owners police one another to make sure everyone cleans up after their pets and that everyone is safe.
“You want to have a place where they can run around and socialize and where you might be able to throw a ball that they can fetch,” Ferson said.
Goose Busters Legacy
Brandon Fitts, director of the Belmont Recreation Department, told The Belmont Voice that residents don’t properly understand the off-leash dog program. It requires owners to clean up dog waste, prevent dogs from digging holes, and have effective verbal control over their pets.
Fitts said the current off-leash permits are a direct descendant of the town’s “Goose Buster” program. Registered dogs were initially allowed to run free, so they could scare off the flocks of Canada geese that were leaving their droppings on town fields.
At its upcoming meeting on Monday, the commission could suspend the program, while it looks for a permanent solution to be enacted in the spring. Some commission members have called for a faster solution.
“It’s gonna be on us if there is another [dog-related] incident in the fall,” said Member Joshua Gould. “I am not comfortable with that.”
As for Blinn, despite Mr. Hoppers’ encounter, she said that Belmont dogs should have their own space to run around, but separate from children’s activities. She suggested blocking off part of a town park as a designated dog area.
“Dogs need a place to go, but I do not think Town Field as it’s set up at this point is an adequate enough or fair enough space for the dogs,” said Blinn.
Related: Boston has few dog parks. It’s led to a pitched battle over public space. (Link is to The Boston Globe, which may require a subscription)
