Economic Development, Culture & Tourism
Joe Halstead, Commissioner
Dog Walkers Sub-Committee Meeting
Included here are the minutes of the DIPS meeting of Dec. 8th. Luan Egan took the minutes and these are the first minutes we have received from the DIPS committee. I would like to extend a thank you to Luan for recording the minutes. Andrew Morris has written up a question and answer document which I have decided to include with this e-mail to lend further information. I have included my own answers and queries within the text of that document. Please add to it and send it back or keep it for discussion purposes at a future meeting.
Please feel free to pass this message on to other dog walkers, your clients and whomever else that may be interested.
The negotiations with the city on the subject of the dogs in parks strategy is in the final stages of development and is leaning towards the requirement of professional dog walkers paying $100 a year to "register" with the city of Toronto Animal Services dept. This registration comes with the notion that there are violations to which if you are found to have any charged against you, it could result in the limitation of expanding your business and restricting your income. In my own opinion, a registration system should not at any time, impede or inhibit the rights and abilities of anyone to conduct business. I find this registration system to be much the same as a permit system.
Again these are my thoughts on the issue.
This registration system in development allows for anyone (meaning professional dog walkers and dog owners) to walk 3 dogs, without needing to register or have liability insurance. The liability insurance is a pre-requisite for registering. Once you register and prove you have insurance, you will be allowed to walk up to 6 dogs. This applies to city parks only. If you do not walk in city parks, you would not need to register or necessarily have liability insurance (unless you are a member of PDWAI, you need to have insurance to be a member). This system that is under development, does not solve the problems for which the city has received complaints. There will still be dog walkers walking more than 6 dogs.
Theoretically then, a dog walker could walk more than 6 dogs in an area that is not a city park and not need to have insurance or pay the registration fee. The problem I see with this system is that if dog walkers can still walk more than 6 dogs in other areas than city parks, then the complaints about dog walkers will not subside from implementing this registration system. I feel that when the complaints do not subside but increase over time, the city will see that the registration system did not work the way they expected it to and therefore will have to design a more stringent and further restrictive system. This will affect us once again and we could end up paying more for the complaints that we have not caused.
We were told that this is not a cash grab, but more of a way to get dog walking under control. Yet as I see it, this system does not get dog walking under control and it does not reduce any liability risks for the city since dog walkers can walk up to 3 dogs without needing insurance.
There is another way to generate income for the city that would ensure the maintenance and protection of the parks which would not put our industry at any financial risk or deem unfairness to other dog walkers. This will also show that we as professionals in our community are leaders who take an interest in the preservation of the areas we use.
A meeting in the near future could take place on how to set up a leash free committee for the dog parks that you use to walk your client's dogs. Further below is a press article about the success of the Mississauga Leash Free committees. My suggestion is that we would form 4 committees to cover the East, West, North and South areas of Toronto leash free parks.
With your assistance, this system could be presented to the Parks Dept. and demonstrate that this will generate more income than the proposed registration. As far as the by law on the number of dogs that a person can walk at one time, the current limit is 5 dogs which it was revised to for the interim; we could propose that the by law remain at that and not have a registration. The Professional Dog Walkers Association International has endorsed a limit on the number of dogs walked by one person to set at a maximum of 6 since 1997 and it is incorporated into our Code of Conduct. We would possibly support a bylaw that simply sets a legal limit of 5 dogs per person for everyone. You may wonder how a parks committee will benefit the dog owner and not just be a benefit to the dog walker. Your questions will be answered at the meeting or write me back.
Your thoughts, suggestions and your leadership are requested. If you are interested in leading a dog park committee for your area please respond.
Again in my opinion, you need to take a vested interest in your industry and protect your livelihood.
Thank you.
Dianne Eibner
Founder/President
www.pdwai.com
1-866-39-PDWAI
| Date: | Thursday, December 8, 2005 |
| Time: | 6:30 p.m. |
| Location: | 50 Booth Avenue |
| Present: | Phillipa Curtin, Luan Egan, Dianne Eibner, Karen Gregory, Andrew Morris, Dagmar Silatts, Sandy Straw, Patrick Williams |
| 1. | DIPS - Update | |
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Action
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| 2. | Dog Walkers Scenario - Proposal | |
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Action
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| 3. | Roles / Responsibilities Expanded | |
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Action
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| 4. | Consultation Process | |
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Action
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| 5. | Timelines | |
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Action
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| 6. | Other Business / comments | |
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Action
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NEXT MEETING: TBD once Critical path is completed ...still hold 12th |
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