Toronto to ban commercial dog walkers from local park over noise complaints

We’re just past the dog days of summer, but it would appear that the City of Toronto is no ally when it comes to Man’s Best Friend.

Case in point: Toronto is banning commercial dog walkers from Ramsden Park. The reason: the city received some complaints from residents about noise. Really?

When we visited the park recently, there was far more noise emanating from the tennis courts than the off-leash dog park where more than a dozen canines were frolicking (as opposed to howling at the moon.)

Golly, maybe the tennis courts at this downtown park are next to go - along with the basketball courts and the hockey rink? Isn’t it horrible when people are having fun?

The professional dog-walking ban kicks in on Sept. 19. But the logic seems to be lacking. For example, if one dog walker is walking five dogs, how is that any different than five separate individuals walking five dogs? Baffling…

As well, when it comes to the Department of Parks and Recreation, we must ponder if the City of Toronto has its priorities in order. There are numerous parks in Hogtown in which people are illegally camping out overnight. And taking illegal drugs. And even defecating in the park.

But for Toronto City Council, the REAL problem is… Fido barking? Give us a break…By the way, when it comes to Toronto parks and dogs, remember our visit to Trinity Bellwoods Park four years ago? That’s when reporter David Menzies and cameraman Lincoln Jay were approached by a homeless drug addict wearing trouble on his shirt. And he was in possession of a dangerous dog, which he sic’d on Menzies for no reason.

The dog viscously bit Menzies in the thigh. The point is, the city knew about this individual and his drug history and his dangerous dog’s history. And the city did absolutely nothing! (We’re suing the city over this incident.)

But if a few harmless dogs are barking aloud at Ramsden Park? Obviously this is a priority and banning professional dog walkers is the solution. Again: baffling. At least the City of Toronto did not repeat its lunacy of last year.

That’s when Toronto made international headlines for all the wrong reasons when a number of signs in city-run parks ordered dog owners to instruct their dogs to limit their barking.

The signage read: “Due to the closeness of the area residents, do not allow your dogs to bark and disturb the neighbourhood. Excessive barking will not be tolerated.”

Apparently, the city thinks Dr. Doolittle is a documentary as opposed to a fantasy. Sorry: even with the aid of A.I., we still cannot “talk to the animals…” We encountered a pro-dog walker during our visit to Ramsden. Rebecca Riddell has started a petition to overturn the ban.

If that fails, she says she might go ahead with legal action against the city. We wish her well. Because when it comes to the city and its priorities, this is a dog’s breakfast indeed…