Toronto dog owners who fail to keep their pets on a leash will face a $240-fine as bylaw officers gear up for an off-leash crackdown.
Mayor Rob Ford warned dog owners of the stepped-up action on Monday, saying there will be a blitz against owners who let their dogs off the leash in non-designated areas.
The mayor told reporters he has received complaints about people letting their dogs off the leash during the recent warm weather. These complaints included reports of children who were bitten by off-leash dogs, he said.
Ford said he loves dogs but they can't be "running wild."
"So if a bylaw officer comes up and hands you a ticket for a few hundred dollars, I'm giving you the heads up," Ford said.
However, some dog owners in Trinity Bellwoods Park Monday afternoon failed to heed the warning.
"No one's in the park right now, and we're just enjoying it, and we're not bothering anybody," said Wayne Parent, as he tossed a ball for his border collie.
The only places dogs are legally allowed to be off-leash is in the owner's backyard or in designated dog parks.
"It is zero tolerance," Toronto Animal Services spokesperson Robert Meerburg told CTV Toronto. "The officers work 24 hours per day, seven days per week and when they go into a park it's a clear-cut case -- it's either on a leash or off."
Other dog owners were more understanding of the coming crackdown.
"There are children and there are dogs, and sometimes they don't play well together, so I understand having basic rules," said Tisha Myles, who had her dog on a leash in Trinity Bellwoods Park.
With files from The Canadian Press
