A popular Salt Spring Island trail remains closed to the public after reports of aggressive off-leash dogs brought bylaw, BC Parks and RCMP officers to Burgoyne Bay Provincial Park’s Daffodil Point trail.
BC Parks closed that trail Friday, Oct. 11, and parks staff are unable to provide an estimate for when it would be safe to re-open. The closure notice indicated the agency closed the trail “to ensure public safety in the area,” although Capital Regional District (CRD) staff explained the closure was related to a pack of at least five dogs seen running at large in the area.
According to CRD senior corporate communications manager Andy Orr, the trail was still closed as of Monday, Oct. 21 and was being monitored closely by CRD staff.
Orr said bylaw officers responded after receiving a complaint about the dogs “acting aggressively” toward people in the Daffodil Point area. Several islanders took to social media as early as Oct. 4 to report a dog pack running freely around the park, attacking both humans and their leashed pets.
Pets are required to be leashed at all times at Burgoyne Bay, according to BC Parks –– as well as at other Salt Spring Island provincial parks, including Ruckle, Mount Maxwell and Mount Erskine parks. A separate standard for the CRD’s regional parks requires dogs merely always be “under control,” although that bylaw specifically calls for dogs to be in clear line of sight of the owner and return when called.
“Officers were dispatched to this location,” said Orr, “and with the assistance of both the RCMP and officers from BC Parks observed five dogs.”
Officers were able to retrieve three of the five, according to Orr, and relocated those animals to the CRD’s animal shelter.
Orr encouraged anyone observing unattended dogs to contact the CRD either by email at animalservices@crd.bc.ca or by calling 1-800-665-7899. Orr said efforts would be made to retrieve the animals.