There’s no denying that Meaford is on the precipice of a substantial population boom.
With development proposals from SkyDev, Loon Call, and almost two dozen others, our small quaint town will soon become home to many new families. With their arrival, of course, come their pets.
While this is great news for pet retailers and pet service providers in our area, the impending influx of new pets in our community may jeopardize our pet friendly reputation, something many Meaford residents have become rather proud of (myself included!).
Currently, the primary amenities for dog owners in Meaford include the Beautiful Joe Off Leash Dog Park, and the leash-free dog beach at Memorial Park. Erosion of the shoreline at Memorial Park threatens to reduce the space allotted for the dog beach, which is shared by locals, day-trippers, campers, and other tourists.
Named after Meaford’s most famous canine, the Beautiful Joe off-leash dog park is a popular locale for dogs to run freely and make new friends in a social setting. However, not all dogs are suited to this type of environment; many dogs are reactive, fearful, or just plain uninterested. Additionally, this facility may soon not be large enough to handle rapid growth of the local canine population.
Meaford is also well known for its many beautiful trails and hiking spots. As these areas become increasingly popular, there are two inherent concerns in which Meaford residents have already been dealing with for some time now: an increase in pet waste, and safety issues surrounding off-leash canines.
It’s an unfortunate fact that many dog owners still haven’t learned to pick up after their pooch. Or even worse, they pick up their dog’s waste only to fling the baggy into the woods or leave it on the trail. Every spring, volunteers for Meaford’s Baggy clean-up find hundreds of piles of dog feces, most of which is not bagged. The Georgian Trail, Tom Thompson trail, and Meaford’s other naturally exquisite trails are often peppered with abandoned dog waste regardless of the season.
An increase in dog owners in the area will surely increase this frustrating and disheartening waste problem, too.
The second potential concern surrounds off-leash use of our trails. While Memorial Park was once off-leash friendly throughout the winter off-season, this is no longer the case. There are no trails in the Meaford area where dogs are permitted to run off-leash. Despite these bylaws, countless individuals choose to ignore this rule because they believe their dog is friendly enough, needs extra space to run, or they just didn’t think they would encounter anyone else on the trail.
This can be frustrating and dangerous for pet owners whose dogs are not so friendly, are fearful of other dogs, or those who are reactive. It also increases the chances of dogs eliminating waste in the woods, outside of their owner’s view, which contributes further to the waste problem. Dog feces are highly toxic and contain numerous harmful pathogens that can spread disease to other animals, and can have a devastating impact on our precious water tables.
An increase in dog owners enjoying our local trails will have a substantial impact on the number of off-leash dogs, unfortunately.
With that said, the vast majority of pet owners in Meaford are responsible. They keep their dogs leashed where needed, properly pick up their pet’s waste, and are considerate of others around them.
In a town that is known for their apples, saying it only takes a few bad apples to spoil the bunch is apropos.
Another consideration regarding the impending influx in Meaford’s pet population is a potential increase in indoor/outdoor cats.
It’s not uncommon for those moving to this area from the city to develop a false sense of safety, as there is substantially less traffic here than what they’re accustomed to. As a result, many could become more lax when allowing their cats to spend time outdoors.
As carnivorous predators, outdoor cats can decimate the population of small animal wildlife – especially birds. Cats are also prey to many local wildlife, primarily coyotes and wolves. Other wild feline predators include owls, eagles, and raccoons.
Realizing this approaching increase in the local pet population, city planning needs to incorporate adequate spaces for community pets. As a town, we must mitigate the potential negative impact on current pet owners as we welcome new residents into our community in a proactive but inclusive way.
As residents of this beautiful town, we all share a responsibility in keeping this community clean, safe, and pet friendly!
Brandon Forder, known as The Pet Expert, is vice-president of Canadian Pet Connection, an industry leader in healthy pet lifestyles. Brandon is certified in pet nutrition, and has more than twenty-five years’ experience specializing in pet health and behaviour. He has written hundreds of informative pet-related articles for newspapers, magazines, radio, and the popular Ask the Pet Expert Blog. Brandon is highly skilled in pet problem solving, and enjoys teaching others about smart and responsible pet ownership. To learn more, visit www.CanadianPetConnection.ca.
