OSWEGO, NY – Attention, dog owners: The city will enforce the lease law.
Councilor Connie Cosemento (D-First Ward) recently requested to install a sign at Montcalm Park stating: “Violators of leash law subject to arrest.”
“This is in concert with a huge problem we’re having in the First Ward,” she explained. “Montcalm Park is one of our historical parks; it’s encased by a Victorian fence. It is becoming a site for more and more people to conveniently bring their dogs to run loose.”
There are signs in the park that say all dogs must be on a lease and you have to pick up after them, the councilor added.
As she sees it, there are three options.
One, they can take down the fence to discourage people from letting their dogs go, she said.
Or, the city could do away with the lease law, she continued.
“Or, prosecute. The people there are asking me to put a sign up in the middle of the park, saying something to the effect of violators of the lease law are subject to arrest – and then enforce it,” Cosemento told the committee.
Some of the dogs have even chased people and some have been bitten, she noted.
“Now people are not wanting to walk in that area to the lake,” she said. “That is not what Oswego is all about. So we really need to do something.”
At its last meeting, the council approved installing a sign at the park.
“I don’t want to see a dog run into another dog’s face wanting to play and wind up getting hurt,” Cosemento explained. “We all think we have control of our dogs. No one thinks like a dog thinks. Dogs were bred for reasons, not walking on leashes; and we can’t always know what they are going to do in any given circumstance.”
Has the City considered a Dog Park? A location that allows dog and their owners to run free. Such a park would require the owners to clean up after their dogs and protect the others.
Montcalm Park Has a gate all the way around with doors on the ends. To say a dog is running loose in there is petty. Sounds to me like someone ran out of pots to stir. Typical Oswegonian troublemakers attacking animals now.
A dog park is the answer. Dogs and owner’s both get great exercise.
Making it into a dog park is way too obvious an answer to Cosemento’s dilemma. I have to agree with Don.