SNOHOMISH — Dogs may finally have their day in city parks.
The City Council might alter the city code before this summer to allow leashed dogs at most parks. The council talked about the changes last week but needs to vote on the switch at a future meeting.
Dogs have been kept out of city parks for as long as anyone can remember.
Officials decided to rethink that rule amid mounting requests from residents.
“We’ve had a lot of outcry from the community,” said Mike Johnson, city parks manager.
The change will allow the city to piggyback on a Snohomish County effort to get pet owners to clean up after their dogs.
Following the county’s lead, the city sent more than 2,000 mailers last year to homeowners, reminding them of the hazards of pet waste.
Dogs produce more than 20 tons of pet waste per day in Snohomish County, according to the county. That waste can pose health hazards, spreading harmful bacteria such as E. coli.
Concerns about pet waste are the main reason dogs aren’t currently allowed in the city’s parks.
The code only allows dogs to be on a leash at Ferguson Park, which escaped the city-wide ban, possibly because it used to be a camping site, Johnson said.
Under the new rules, pet owners could bring their dogs to eight parks or trails, so long as the animals stay on a leash.
Residents also will have to pick up after their animals. To encourage that, the city may spend about $6,000 on garbage cans, pet waste bags and reminder signs.
While many city sites would open up to dogs, a few would not.
Dogs would still be barred from Hill, Fischer, Claytown and Pilchuck parks, most of which have playground equipment and athletic fields.
Officials said they don’t want to worry about any pet waste at those sites.
“There’s nothing worse than having a kid slide through a pile of that when they’re trying to play a baseball game,” Johnson said.
Parks Board chairman John First said the change will ultimately reflect reality, since many people already bring their pets to the parks.
“Dogs are using parks now,” he said. “I see them all the time — and evidence of them.”
Andy Rathbun: 425-339-3455, arathbun@heraldnet.com
Where to go off-leash
Snohomish is considering allowing dogs into most of its parks, but the dogs will still need to be on leashes. To learn about off-leash areas in Snohomish County — along with volunteer opportunities for pet owners — go to sno-dog.org or tinyurl.com/CountyParks.
Sno-DOG, which works to create and maintain off-leash areas, also is holding a meeting Tuesday night to look for new volunteers and leaders for its board of directors. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the Snohomish Library on 311 Maple Ave.
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