New Fences, New Fields Raised as Possible Remedies For Okehocking Dogs

The Willistown Parks Department held a Tuesday evening at the township offices to discuss the off-leash dog policy at Okehocking Preserve and plans to improve conditions there. About 20 members of the public were in attendance, approximately 15 of whom were Willistown residents.

The meeting consisted of a discussion on current dog laws in Willistown, current and potential problems with , and the possibility of creating a larger leash-free area at the preserve. 

Parks Director Mary McLoughlin began by discussing existing laws and codes pertaining to dogs in Willistown. According to existing regulations, the small off-leash dog area in Okehocking should be the only area where dogs are off-leash in the preserve; and even when off-leash, dogs must be "attended and under control at all times" according to Chapter 96 of the Willistown Township Code.

McLoughlin noted that there is some ambiguity in the definition of "attended and under control at all times."

"Reasonable control is you say 'halt,' and [the dog] halts," McLoughlin said. "Voice command would be reasonable control, but if a dog is chasing a deer, you may call out, but he's so onto chasing that deer, there's no controlling him—so that's where it gets confusing." 

McLoughlin said that a number of incidents involving unleashed dogs have been reported to her, and she has spoken with residents who have voiced fears or complaints about dogs who run up to them while walking at the preserve.

"What [the code] keeps harping on is 'under control at all times,'" McLoughlin said. "If you can't see your dog, it's not attended. If you can't see your dog, it's not under control. If you can't see your dog, you don't know that it's not going off trail and defecating."

She also noted that the people in attendance at Tuesday's meeting were the dog owners who train their dogs and keep them under control.

"What we're all fighting against is the people whose dogs aren't trained, and [who] don't pick up after them," McLoughlin said.

The Okehocking Nature Center group's imminent move into the preserve's farm house will bring additional school groups and other visitors who may not be comfortable around dogs, she said.

"We're really lucky as township to have a group that sees Okehocking like this," McLoughlin said. "... But it's going to be a little different than how we're used to the preserve now, with most of the people out there with their dogs. … I know change is difficult for some people, but we have to share [the land]."

Professional dog trainer Sabine Platten explained that unleashed dogs often infringe on the rights of those who do not want unleashed dogs to approach them. They also place leashed dogs in a defensive position, leading many otherwise friendly dogs to bite unleashed dogs who approach them.

A number of community members said they felt as though they were being punished for the bad behavior of other dog owners.

"Everything you say is premised on dogs loping up to others, not under control," township resident Donna Talis said. "… What about me? I'm a taxpayer, I've been here for 25 years, and there are no parks where I can go with my dog. Why do some people have more rights than I do?"

Terry Harvey, also a Willistown resident, agreed. "The people in this room are the poop picker-uppers. We leash our dogs when a horse's head appears on the horizon. If we all put our dogs on a leash, your problem is not going to be solved."

McLoughlin said she understood their concerns, and explained that the safety of all the visitors to the park is a primary concern. To address immediate concerns about off-leash dogs approaching people entering and exiting the preserve, an open-ended fence will be added near the Delchester Road parking lot.

The post-and-rail fence, which could be in place within two months, will be installed 15 feet from existing fencing near the parking area. The fence will not enclose the entire leash-free area and will have no gates, but will run alongside the beginning of the trail.

Resident Catherine Stevensen expressed gratitude for the new fence.

"I am a person who walks a dog and is a bit sensitive to being approached by other dogs on the trail. Multiple times I have been walking my dog and had him charged by other dogs," Stevensen said.

McLoughlin said the Parks Department is willing to work with those who would like to see a bigger off-leash dog area at Okehocking and discussion is already underway, but it will require additional research and the creation of a new map, which will take time.

One option would be to create an off-leash dog area in Okehocking 4, a 12-acre area across Delchester Road to the east, provided funding could be procured. Up to six acres could be fenced in, leash-free, McLoughlin said.

The members of the public in attendance at Tuesday's meeting voiced that the six acres would be better than the current unleashed dog area, but they would much prefer a trail for their dogs to walk and run on. 

Two other parcels were discussed as options for an off-leash area: the land on the Pow Wow field, south of Ridley Creek and across from , or the land north of Ridley Creek and to the east of Garrett Mill Road.

Members of the public suggested having certain hours of the day designated as hours where unleashed dogs were permitted, or a kind of fee-based membership system, which would help to eliminate dog owners who do not abide by the rules of the park.

McLoughlin encouraged people in attendance to research the options and find examples of functional dog parks using these guidelines, and present the information for consideration.

[Edited 6/2/11 10:20 a.m. Revised section on Okehocking 4 funding per Parks Dept. note that funds would have to be raised externally; replaced outdated map with current one.]