Dog owners in Enderby will now need to leash up their pups when walking the Riverwalk.
The city is requiring that dogs be on-leash when on or within one metre of the Jim Watt Heritage walkway that runs along the Shuswap River.
The new rule is intended to reduce conflict between dogs on the Riverwalk, and between dogs and other trail users.
The city’s Committee of the Whole originally pursued the leash idea as a way to cut down on dog feces left along the walk and near A.L. Fortune Secondary, after receiving complaints from residents.
At the committee’s March 15 meeting, chief administrative officer Tate Bengtson said the leash rule likely won’t do much to solve the dog poop problem, as “irresponsible owners will continue to leave it when they think that they are not being seen.”
However, he said the rule could have more of an impact in reducing dog conflicts along some of the Riverwalk’s “pinch points,” where owners have less ability to keep their dogs away from others.
The hope is the rule will give some reassurance to trail users who are wary of off-leash dogs, and keep owners closer to their dogs so they remember to pick up after them.
The city thanked dog owners in advance for their cooperation.
READ MORE: North Okanagan district passes dog control bylaw
READ MORE: Dog rushed to vet after coyote attack on Kelowna trail
