Will New Reporting System Reduce Off-Leash Violations in Arlington?

ARLINGTON, MA—The bylaw amendment passed in 2010 that allowed owners to have their dogs off-leash during certain hours has given a wealth of freedom to dog owners, but repeat violators of the rules have yielded concerns from residents.

When the bylaws came into effect in 2010, the rules were set to be primarily self-enforced by dog owners and other park users, according to Recreation Commissioner Joseph Connelly. However, the town recently announced the adoption of an online reporting system that can be used to report incidents of off-leash violations, which Connelly hopes will help the commission quantify the problem of off-leash dog violations.

"We're just trying to get a gauge on where it's[the rules] working and where it's not working," Connelly told Patch."Some residents say that there are dogs off leash at all different times. Others say that there is predominantly not a problem and that people tend to follow the rules."

Connelly also added that the new reporting system is primarily a data collection mechanism. He did not point to any one particular incident that sparked the need for more data collection, but cited that a mix of concerns from residents have dictated the need for more knowledge of the situation.

The Arlington Animal Control Officer was not immediately available for comment.

Currently, the Recreation Commission has no measure to quantify the amount of complaints filed by residents. Connelly believes that a byproduct of the new rules could result in a decrease in violations.

"I think it will bring more awareness to the current rule," Connelly said."The goal behind it is more data collection, but hopefully people become more aware. I think that it [the reduction of violations] could be a byproduct of [the new reporting system]."

What do you think about the new program? Let us know in the comments section.

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