Montgomery Council Member Seeks Leash Freedom For Dogs

ROCKVILLE, MD —Montgomery County council member Sidney Katz introduced a bill Tuesday that would ensure dogs could be off-leash in dog parks that are established by municipalities in the county.

Currently, dogs can be off-leash in dog parks in Montgomery County that are established and overseen by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC). However, M-NCPPC regulations regarding dog parks do not apply in dog parks that are established by municipalities within the county.

“For dog owners—and dogs—one of the best things this county has done is establish dog parks so dogs can great exercise and socialize with other dogs,” said council member Katz. “And I am very glad that we are constantly looking for new opportunities to establish dog parks throughout the County. We know that some municipalities are also looking to establish dog parks, and they will establish their own regulations for those parks. We want to make sure that dogs can run free in all dog parks in Montgomery County, and this bill would ensure that will be the case.”

The bill will not apply to municipalities that are not subject to the county’s Animal Control laws. Currently, the only municipalities it would not apply to are the cities of Gaithersburg and Rockville. The bill will not impact county laws that call for dogs to be on leashes in public areas.

Councilmembers Roger Berliner, Marc Elrich and Craig Rice are co-sponsors of the bill. A public hearing on the bill is tentatively scheduled for July 11.

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