Trying To Find Dog Park Info on dnv.org !?!?

I'm adding this link to my Interesting Links though, to tell the truth, it's far from interesting.

'Dogs In Parks', the North Vancouver District's web page is suppose to give all the information about walking your dog in the district. You might think it would contain helpful information like maybe explain what "off-leash" means. What Dog Etiquette might be. A good map of dog 'off-leash' areas.... In my opinion it falls short.

I admit, at first glance it looks simplified and inviting. The sub-title gives the reader clear information to what they are going to find here: "On this page you will find Bylaw Information, Dog Etiquette, and a map of the parks in the District of North Vancouver." Unfortunately, after the title, things start to loose that simplicity.

If you have hit the link for the map you get this large, extremely detailed, map of all the parks in the city and district of North Vancouver. The map itself doesn't have a visual symbol or detail that gives dog owners a easy information piece to use when they want to walk their dog.

What is interesting about this map is that the chart on the right shows 7 out of 141 parks (in the district) have off-leash areas (5 percent). So even though we push for park space in our own individual communities, dogs are not really welcome. Instead we choose to heard them into smaller areas (which are still multi-use) so, seemingly, they can police themselves. (Sorry, small rant.)

As for educating dog owners to the rules and regulation The dog by-law link actually takes you to the legal 'Dog Tax and Regulation Bylaw #5981.' Not an easy to understand version that the average person can comprehend but instead every schedule, paragraph and sub-section set forth and effective July 11, 1988. It contains consolidations, amendments, definitions. licencing, commercial dog walking permits, applying for commercial dog walking permits, fees,.... Do you get my point? Not something the average dog owner wants to peruse before venturing out with Tigger.

Only, at the bottom is there a glitter of hope for some information that might be of use. Under "Additional Information" there is a link that takes you to yet another page, which then gives 'Dog Etiquette.' Unfortunately, a let down again. Most of the points are about the destruction of district property; know were your dog isn't allowed, tread lightly, respect the park, be licenced and vaccinated.... That's about it!

So as not to thing that I'm just cutting the dnv's approach to dogs, please see the Vancouver Parks web site at http://vancouver.ca/parks/info/dogparks/index.htm. And see 'Rex in the City.' It the district wants less problems with dogs maybe 'education' is a good place to start.