Parks department reminds dog owners of leash laws

TUESDAY, JULY 5: The Department of Parks today reminded dog owners about their responsibilities when taking their pets to the Botanical Gardens, Arboretum, the Railway Trail and other parks and public beaches.

Parks staff have recently received a number of complaints from walkers, runners and other park users about dogs roaming free without leashes in various parks especially within the Botanical Gardens and the Arboretum.

Such incidents include a lady who was bitten by a dog at Admiralty House Park several months ago to a school student who was bitten by a dog in Botanical Gardens as recent as last week.

Dog owners and handlers are reminded of Regulation 6 of the Bermuda National Park Regulations 1988– Special Provisions Related to Dogs which states that: “any person being the owner of or in control of a dog shall not take an unleashed dog to any protected area, take a dog to any beach in a protected area between April 1 to October 31, take a dog to any protected area using a leash greater than three meters in length or allow their dog to annoy or disturb any person in any protected area”.

In the Botanical Gardens and the Arboretum as well as other parks the general public is also reminded to use the dogi pot bags that are erected for the disposal of dog waste.

Officials from the Department of Parks advise that, “should the problem persist in Botanical Gardens and the Arboretum, then the privilege of having dogs in these areas will be discontinued. The cooperation of the general public is greatly appreciated in this matter".