Is Marblehead a Dog-Friendly Town?

Earlier this year, we ran a story focused on and it stirred up quite the discussion among our readers.

You don't have to spend much time in Marblehead to recognize that people here love their dogs. It was so apparent that we created a column aimed at showcasing the wide variety of dog breeds seen out for walks in town.

Though the story was meant to help the Recreation and Parks Commission with raising public awareness, some of our readers used the comment section to  complain that local residents don't clean up after their pets and many disregard leash laws.

Others fought back, saying the town's dog park on Lime Street was too small and argued that the town bylaws pertaining to pooches were too strict.

Responses to the story included:

• "Why don't you just kill all the dogs in Marblehead! Not a town to live in if you love your pets."
• "I have never seen such an entitled and selfish bunch. Unleashed dogs everywhere, incessant barking and dog crap all over our beautiful town. Meanwhile our children can't use the beaches on multiple days during the summer because of the dog waste pollution."
• "The dog park is good for playing with other dogs but is not suitable for a dog walk. Most parks sit empty 9 months out of the year and people should be able to bring their dogs there. If you don't properly exercise your dogs and spend some energy, dogs are more likely to get aggressive and create unfortunate circumstances. "
• "Clean up after your dogs, stay off playing fields that are in use that time of year and when we all start getting tickets, lets all work together to push back against the dog haters in this town!"
• "Riverhead beach is not a dog park......tired of being charged at, butted and jumped on."

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According to the town's posted bylaws, dogs out with their owners must be leashed unless they are inside the confines of the town designated dog park on Lime Street near .

Dogs aren't allowed to be on any public cemetery at any time during the year or any public beach, athletic area, playground or park between May 1 and Oct. 1 of each year, provided, however, that this prohibition shall not apply to , , , , Upper , Riverhead Beach or the Dog Park.

Whoever violates these rules will be faced with a $25 fine for a first offense and a $50 for a subsequent offense. There are also fines for dog owners who do not clean up after their dogs or do not have adequate means to clean up after them while out for a walk.

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Now we want to know - where do you stand?

Let us know by voting in our poll below and letting us know how you feel in the comments section.