Pleasant Valley to hold public hearing banning dogs from parks

Dec 2

Written By HVNY

“Dogs are not permitted in Town parks. This rule covers all existing and future Town parks.”

The Town of Pleasant Valley will hold a public hearing at 7pm on Monday December 2, 2024 to discuss repealing and replacing the town’s code on dogs, including restrictions on running off leash, barking for more than 30 minutes, and banning dogs from all town parks.

“We still, to this day, have people that still feel they’re above what we’re asking, and bring the dogs out, unleash them and let them run right where the kids are going to be playing ball…it’s just ridiculous, everybody needs to stop, it needs to stop now,” Town Supervisor Mary Albrecht said. “We’re asking this for many, many good reasons. It’s hazardous in so many ways.”

Updated code would make it unlawful for dog owners to allow dogs to “run at large in the Town of Pleasant Valley and any Hamlets on any property other than that of the person owning or harboring such dog unless accompanied by its owner.”

The new code would also restrict a 30-minute limit for “howling, barking, crying or whining as to unreasonably disturb the comfort or quiet enjoyment of any person other than the dogs owner,” increase the fee for unspayed and unneutered dogs, and limit property damage such as damaging lawns and gardens not belonging to the dog’s owner. Language has also been edited to add that dogs must not “chase, bite, jump upon or at or otherwise harass any person in such a manner as to reasonably cause intimidation or fear or to put such person in reasonable apprehension of bodily harm or injury.”

Part C of the amended local law reads: “Dogs are not permitted in Town parks. This rule includes all Town parks, including but not limited to Candy Park, Bower Park, Helen Aldrich Park, and all other parks. This rule covers all existing and future Town parks. Violations are enforceable by the Town’s Code Enforcement Officer who is authorized to issued appearance tickets.”

“I never thought we’d honestly be considering a law change like this,” Town Councilman Rifenburgh said. “But I can pull up probably 50 pictures from just a week ago of multiple dog owners just letting their dogs run around in just one of our parks. The nice thing is that this does allow us to designate a municipal dog park and this would exclude that.”

There are four nearby locations dog owners can bring their dogs, town officials added: Peach Hill Park, Wappingers Creek Greenway Trail, Hyde Park Greenway Trail, Baird State Park.

“I don’t like the fact that we’re excluding dog walkers,” Town Councilman Dan Degan added. “For some people their dogs are part of their family, but if we’re going to view it that way, how would the dog people feel if people that had kids let their kids walk all over the field and go to the bathroom?”

Link: Proposed Local Law C Meeting Minutes, November 2, 2024

Follow HVNY for the latest updates: