Leash Law and Dogs at Parks

I strongly oppose these new proposed dog ordinances!!!! My family has lived in Minnetonka for 30 years. We are responsible dog owners with very well trained dogs and have enjoyed the ability to exercise our hunting dogs off leash all these years. Off leash exercise is vital to the mental and physical well being of our canine family members. Simply walking a dog on a 6 foot leash does not even begin to give these dogs the exercise they require. I can never express the sense of community and friendships I have built over the years with other dog owners I have met while walking my dogs off leash in Minnetonka parks. We all work together to be respectful of other park users and make sure all animal waste is picked up and deposited in waste receptables even if it wasn't our own dogs. While being off leash over the years, I have never had issues with aggressive dog encounters. I feel fenced-in areas and leashed dogs actually increase dog aggression as they feel trapped. Also, enclosed dog parks tend to be dirty, spreading disease and draw dog owners with extremely untrained dogs. I hardly ever frequent local dog parks. I have only once been to Bryant Lake dog park and will never return. Our dog was attacked as we were exiting the dog park. I found the enclosed area to be nothing but a large group of dogs in dirt. By changing these ordinances you are taking away our quality of life and my dogs! Having the ability to walk our dog off leash is one of the many qualities that makes Minnetonka so special and one of the reasons people move to our city. Please keep our current off-leash dog ordinances!

I enjoy walking my dog daily off leash at Purgatory Park during the day. The crowds of people walking the paths from the pandemic years has greatly decreased. Sometimes, I don't see another person walking. Please don't change the ordinance that allow off leash dogs in unmaintained areas of the parks. My dog is submissive to other dogs and would never be comfortable in a traditional dog park.

I use the parks regularly with my two dogs that are well behaved. It’s really the only public service I used outside of the protection from our police, fire and highway workers. I’ve met and developed many friendships over the years at the parks, including Jidana and Purgatory. It’s a joy running into people and connecting, often when our dogs are running through the brush chasing each other or squirrels or the like. It’s sometimes the only socialization for me as I work at home in the post-COVID era. I respectfully request that the City take a measured approach with the ordinances including the following;
1. What about pre-screening dogs to allow off-leash activity?
2. What about an alternative day system, odd days off leash, even days leashes?
3. What about restrictive hours? I.e, 10-3 leashes required, other times off leash?

It seems like a compromise system could be tried for a year and revised if necessary. I hope that an all or nothing approach can be avoided.

Thanks for your consideration.
Respectfully submitted,
Michael Hayes
mehayes234@gmail.com

After reading the posted pieces it seems a decision has been made. Please give more information as to the problem being resolved, posting rules means the park dept will need to monitor, enforce, defend, contesting, etc. can we estimate new hires and where the $ will be generated. The problem around dog socialization must be large.
In the 25 years of excersizing my dogs at Jidana, we’ve haven’t seen any issues. This is of course different than other parks.
Maybe the park dept could offer canine obedience and socialization classes.i.e address the problem.

I am in support of the two ordinances requiring dogs to be on leash. There is a safety concern in our parks regarding dogs. We should do what other cities do and require dogs to be on leash but also have a nice fenced in dog park.

I have been an almost daily park visitor (rain or shine, sweltering or frigid) since I got Louie 4 years ago. Our routine is to walk a leashed Louie out of the North parking lot, acrossed the maintained trail and down what Louie calls “the middle” where I let Louie off leash and he chases or is chased by other fun loving unleashed dogs. If there aren’t enough other unleashed dogs to give Loire a good work out, I have a frisbee with me and I toss that until he’s a bit worn down and we proceed to the other side of the park. Louie goes back on leash and we cross the bridge and walk clock wise back to the parking lot. We sped an hour or slightly longer. We have met many wonderful friendly people and their dogs, often learning pets’ names before their owners’. The dogs’ wrestling and chasing is often accompanied by good natured growling or barking. It doesn’t take long for a new dog owner to recognize when barks or growls are not friendly or playful. This happens rarely , but I have never seen a situation not remedied immediately by one or both owners. Dogs, both big and small, need this kind of play to maintain healthy and challenged lives. They have little enough stimuli in their lives to break the monotony of watching us read or cook or do any of the other ridiculous human pastimes which can’t possibly make any sense to them. I have discussed various of the plans with Louie and neither of us see any reason to change the current arrangement. I have discussed the changes with many other dog lovers at the park, and although our opinions are vastly inferior to those of our dogs, they assure me that there is uniform agreement that the status quo is working very well, and although we are largely pawerless to sway your decision, we hope things can be left as they are.
Thank you for your kind consideration,
Lloyd, and Louie

Overall, the ordinance changes aren't major. I have said since the city started this over a year ago, that better SIGNAGE is what is really needed.

There is nothing wrong with the current off-leash dog areas, but it's unclear for many where it's on/off-leash. I go to Purgatory almost everyday, so I am very well aware of where the off-leash areas are. I have been yelled at by people who don't go as often, but I choose to not get into it because they won't be there the next day.

I hope we can all use common sense and KEEP ALL OFF-LEASH AREAS but create better communication so it's not up for interpretation.

I love the idea of a "mall map" that outlines on/off leash areas at key places in parks.

I hope that the task force includes members of Minnetonka Paws for Parks to ensure that the discussion is fair and equitable for the people who are big proponents for keeping off-leash areas plentiful in Minnetonka parks.

Thank you for considering my feedback.

Kris

I do not support the proposed ordinances for our neighborhood dog park and believe it should remain as it is. This park is one of the only options in the surrounding area for dog owners to let their dogs exercise and socialize freely, making these proposed changes particularly unfair to our community. Our current setup encourages responsible off-leash dog walking, allowing pets to enjoy open space in a safe, controlled environment. Requiring strict leash usage and further limiting off-leash areas restricts our ability to fully utilize this valuable resource and undermines the community atmosphere we’ve built. Our neighborhood has successfully maintained a balanced, respectful approach to off-leash activity, and these changes are unnecessary and overly restrictive for responsible dog owners and their pets.

This is ridiculous! Was there not an outstanding showing of support for off leash dog areas/trails/spaces in Minnetonka Parks at multiple Park Board Meetings last Fall/Winter when this was being discussed!? Off leash dog gatherings at the parks is an asset to Minnetonka that the majority of residents enjoy, it is also a social gathering space, a place of connection, and growing in demand (think about all the dog friendly restaurants and breweries etc around because this is something the people appreciate and use!). In regards to the false statements about impact to sustainability made by those against off leash; walking, hiking, biking, etc are all activities that impact trail erosion and other environmental concerns for the parks, to paint the dogs as the only problem isn't fair or correct. The few people who don't like off leash dogs can stay on the paved trails or go to the parks where off leash dogs are not (we all know this ordinance is about one particular park). Not every single park and trail has to cater to the same small sub group of people, make trails available for all (ie mountain bikers have their trails, non dog walkers have their trails, let the dog owners and dogs have their trails too)!

I feel like this is dejavu... Didn't we address this last year? Wasn't it decided that it would not move forward. Now here we are again~ The city chose not to go forward with the changes for Purgatory Park as they knew they would instead just change the ordinances for the entire city and have the same result??? Seems suspicious... We live in a free country. We live in a country where everyone is allowed their own opinion. That said, we will NEVER all have the same opinion. We will NEVER all agree on this issue. Why does the city continue to try? It is not possible. People will always complain. If this ordinance passes, the people who are complaining may go away (or they just may find something else to complain about...). The complaints could also shift from, there are too many dogs in Purgatory, I don't feel safe being approached by another person's dog, I don't feel I can go to Purgatory Park because of the dogs... instead compaints could be, there are too many people in Purgatory, I don't feel comfortable with strangers trying to pet my dog or I don't feel like I can safely take my dog to Purgatory anymore as there are too many kids running up to my leashed dog, can't these parents train their kids better. That sounds incredibly silly!!! I agree!!! What will the city do when the complaints shift, reverse the decision as they are trying to appease EVERYONE... Purgatory Park was gifted to the city by a family with Bernese Mountain dogs that roamed free~ I feel they would be saddened by this issue coming up over and over and over again~ Minnetonka has so many parks to choose from, we are truly blessed! Why can't Purgatory Park be THE ONE where dogs are able to be off leash? IT could be a designated Dog Park. Is it too hard to explain? Why do dog owners who love to roam with their dogs off leash have less rights than people without dogs or those who prefer their dogs leashed. I would love to visit ALL parks and let my dog be off leash, but I don't, I go to Purgatory as it is accepted there. I pray this doesn't change.

I have been a resident of Minnetonka for the past 30 years. Purgatory Park and allowing dogs off leash is the only interaction I have with other citizens of Minnetonka. Purgatory Park is our town square. We dog owners interact with each other while our dogs play together. I have been using the Purgatory Park off leash area almost every day for the full 30 years and have never seen a major problem with the dogs or other people that use the park. Most of the problems I have seen over the years have been with leashed dogs. Dogs off leash know if they are threatened, the dog can retreat to safety. Leashed dogs are confined and feel the need to fight when threatened.
As a Service-Connected Disabled Veteran of the US Armed Forces, I find walking in the woods at Purgatory Park to be therapy keeping me off anti-depressants for my PTSD.
I am asking that no changes be made in the Minnetonka Leash Law.

I am a resident of Minnetonka, and have been spending a lot of time in Jidana park in recent months, following the deaths of my family members. Encountering the dogs exploring and exercising in the woods, off leash, within voice command, has been one of the best things to happen to me in two years. Animals need to be trained to be allowed this freedom, and dog owners who don’t have that yet with their animals, leash them. I haven’t encountered any incident where another dog or human was set back by seeing a dog exploring off leash. The owners are always nearby. The provision as it stands, dogs under voice command, is a community building allowance, and not the heart of any problem occurring with owners taking advantage of the freedom allowed properly trained animals. Dogs and cats and animals we care for, are also residents, and give to the community, and need nature and adventure. We need to stay open, and solve problems from a place of personal accountability in this instance. Perhaps this is an opening to offer workshops on animal etiquette and right choices and actions in our parks?
Thank you, Beth Bogle

I am a dog owner near Purgatory and support the ordinance. My dog is reactive and becomes anxious when approached by off-leash dogs while on a leash. To avoid this, I stick to sidewalks for on leash walks, instead of the gravel path on the south end of the park, as I've had off-leash dogs approach us there, even though it's supposed to be a leashed area.

The off-leash area in Purgatory is increasingly misused, with many dog owners letting their dogs off-leash at their cars or walking them down Stodola. It's also concerning to see off-leash dogs in the road when driving into the neighborhood.

For these reasons, I support the ordinance.

I am in favor of dogs being on-leash on city streets, in parks, and on trails. The proposed ordinances are not taking away the off-leash area in Purgatory, but they do require dog owners to keep them on-leash to protect people and leashed pets.

Putting the safety of others in front of your dog's optional off-leash in a public area (streets, parks, trails) doesn't take away from their off-leash privileges in the areas where it is allowed.

As a resident who lives near Purgatory Park, I encounter off-leash dogs on the marked (paved, outer ring) trails nearly every time I visit (4-5 times a week). I cannot take my leashed dog and feel secure that an off-leash dog will not approach us. This has proven to be unsafe when the off-leash dog has caused my leashed dog to get excited and tangle me up in the leash, when on the trail. Things like this have resulted in a fall in icy conditions (with ice cleats), hurting my wrist. There is no reason why people walking on city streets or in parks shouldn't feel safe because of off-leash animals. This ordinance is the least the city should do to ensure the safety of residents and pets.

I strongly support both ordinances. This is LONG overdue. I look forward to this process of finding a designated place for dogs to be off-leash that allows for equal access to parks, improved public safety, and a more sustainable park system. I would like to recommend that dog owners purchase an annual license for each dog living in their household because this new designated place for off-leash will require ongoing maintenance by the city. Use the funds from the licensing to pay for the upkeep of the designated spot and fund any desired amenities within the site. Also, the selected new location for off-leash must be determined by a comprehensive set a criteria, criteria that aligns with ALL of the comprehensive plan, POST plan, and NRMP plan goals and recommendations.

I strongly OPPOSE this proposal along with the MAJORITY of the citizens surveyed!!!!

We completed the survey and gave our feedback, yet the proposed changes moved forward against the survey results. How did this happen? Who is representing the majority?
I pulled the data from the survey:
"The city of Minnetonka off leash ordinance should be changed to not allow dogs = 64% of the 496 people surveyed said NO!!!
66% of 490 people surveyed want NO CHANGES. Yet here we are again. What is the point of completing these surveys if WE THE PEOPLE are not represented!?
The majority of people DO feel safe!
Dogs need to run off leash! I have not seen any altercations with dogs off leash, and I am at the park daily and have been for 17 years. This is my sacred space. I absolutely love walking my dog at purgatory and feel it is such a treasure. Once we lose these freedoms, we are never getting them back. We have an amazing community. Please remember that your role as a city council member is to represent the city it serves. 1. Code of Ethics: The city council of the city of Minnetonka confirms its determination that ETHICAL standards among its members, as well as the members of the various commissions of the city of Minnetonka, are essential to the public affairs of the city.

I am strongly against the proposed ordinances. Purgatory park is much larger than other on-leash dog parks, and it’s larger structure enables comfortable coexistence between the off-leash dog area and the walking path. In my 5 years going to purgatory I have never seen a dangerous altercation between two dogs or between a dog and a person. It is vital that dogs get time and space to run around freely and socialize with other dogs in a natural manner. Purgatory is the perfect space for this to happen given its size and location. If a leash mandate were to be enforced, aggression and altercations would only rise as dogs feel restricted and anxious, leading to more interactions ripe for conflict. I take my dog to Purgatory almost everyday, and this park has been a genuine lifesaver, not to mention the source of some of our fondest memories. Please reconsider this ordinance.

I strongly disagree with the proposed ordinances. Please leave Purgatory Park and Jidana as they are. There are plenty of other places for people who don’t want to be around dogs to go. There are fewer off-leash areas. Minnetonka has a large percentage of dog ownership and those voices need to be heard. I believe the call for these ordinances is largely based on fear and a lack of understanding of dogs in general. A happy, well-exercised dog is a better-behaved pet, less prone to getting into mischief or exhibiting aggressive behavior, and is a proven mental health booster for its owner. Dogs were not made to be confined and leashed. It’s these restrictions that can lead to undesirable outcomes. We humans welcomed dogs into our lives and homes decades ago and we owe it to them to provide an enriching life of freedom of movement and socialization with other dogs to help make them good canine citizens.

I strongly oppose this proposal. Dogs NEED off leash exercise. I have walked two lab-size dogs in Minnetonka parks for over 30 years with nearly zero negative experiences. The joy in their body language, and the quality of exercise cannot be equaled while on a leash. Please do not take that away from us just because of exaggerated complaints. Throwing balls or toys to try to exercise a dog within the confines of my private property is the worst thing for a dogs joints and ligaments. Those last words came from my vet, after he did ACL surgery on a previous labrador. Please keep in mind, in over 30 years of walking dogs off leash almost every day at Purgatory and other parks, I have never seen a human harmed by a dog.

Dogs should always be leashed, I am a dog owner . Seen dogs attack other dogs, this is a safety concern for both people and dogs.