Pups, pits and problems

Taking Fido or Fifi out for a game of fetch at one of your local parks is now coming with a warning. If dogs don’t stop digging holes in fields, New Westminster’s Parks and Recreation team says it’s ready to shut down the spaces in between organized sports events.

Erika Mashig is the manager of parks and open space planning design and construction, and says staff have been adding signs to the parks asking that people don’t let their dogs run free. In some cases, the animals will dig holes. “I think some of those signs have been damaged or vandalized,” she says, “so that’s not a good start.”

Since the beginning of spring, the team has been busy filling holes being dug by dogs in different fields across the city: 120 to date, which Mashig calls unprecedented. The reason for digging holes varies from dog to dog; some may see it as a means of protection, while others do it because they’re bored.

“This was brought forward by our parks operation staff. They are our eyes on the ground, and they see what’s going on out in parks.” Mashig says staff are confident the holes aren’t being dug by other kinds of animals, since dogs have been spotted off-leash in spaces they’re not supposed to be.

A number of these areas have designated off-leash spaces, which Mashig hopes people will choose to use instead. As for the spaces where holes have been found:

• Moody Park (what the city calls Field #1);

• Moody Park south

• Queen’s Park south

• Upper Hume & Lower Hume

• Simcoe Park

“[Our staff] know that these fields during the pandemic were being used more and more by dog owners and to run their dogs during COVID,” Mashig explains. Because organized sports were put on hold, it’s believed that pups and their people became used to using them. “Now that we’re back in full swing, organized sports have started, and it’s time to get our fields in shape for play.”

Mashig says she doesn't want to hear that someone's tripped and hurt themselves while walking through one of these holes.

“It’s a liability and it could cause a serious injury,” she says, adding that staff have had to send out warnings to those using the space. “We’ve reached out to the sports teams and to our field users, the bookings for organized sports. We’ve let them know of the discoveries there, and to keep an eye out and to let us know about anything that needs our attention.”

There have been discussions about making the fields into shared spaces – allowing dogs off-leash in those areas, for instance – but Mashig says the most recent round of feedback has found people aren’t ready for that.

“We’ve heard loud and clear that we’re not quite there, we’re not quite comfortable with that approach just yet.”

In the meantime, Mashig is asking anyone with a dog to instead use designated off-leash areas, stay up to date with the People, Parks and Pups strategy, and to report any holes you spot to the city, so that they can be filled.