My dog, Wally, loves nothing better than to be off leash. A friendly little spoodle (part cocker spaniel, part poodle), Wally looks like a curly little lamb, and I know for a fact he would not hurt a fly. Because I know it's safe, and I can control him, every chance I get, I unclip Wally's leash from his collar while we're walking, so he can sniff as he pleases, and run ahead of me on the sidewalk to say hello to other dogs and chase squirrels among the trees.
Needless to say, I was really pleased when I moved into a new apartment in Kits to discover the "dog beach" just down the street from me, located adjacent to Vanier Park on the water. Here is a large stretch of sand where dogs and their owners can gather, leash-free, to socialize, chase balls into the surf, and have fun.
Unfortunately, city officials seem to think it greatly important to "control" the "dog problem" in the area. As such, there are often as many as three uniformed animal control officers at a time down at the dog beach, asking to see pets' licenses and handing out tickets to anyone who dares to let their pooch off leash outside the specified hours or boundaries of the marked area.
Now, I know there are rules in place for a reason. But for the kilometres of beaches we are privileged enough to enjoy in Vancouver, why can't there be just one specially set aside for the dogs? Why must there be special hours we have to adhere to? What if I feel like walking my dog outside those hours? Is he then not allowed any time off leash? And why is our money being put into seemingly useless animal control? There are bears roaming around neighbourhoods in North Van! Why aren't these civil servants out in those areas, doing some real work?
The way I see it, there are two kinds of people: Those who love dogs, and those who don't. The ones who do will (mostly, I think) agree with me on this topic. The ones who don't, won't. But because of its short off-leash summer hours, and the number of animal control people walking around and harassing dog owners, I can't give Kits Dog Beach a higher rating than two. And I know Wally would agree with me on this one.
Vanier Park/Kitsilano Dog Beach Off-leash Hours:
May 1-September 30: 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
October 1-April 30: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. read more