Recent visitors to Bare Cove Park have noticed that rules regarding dog and owner behavior have been posted by the Bare Cove Park Committee at both entrances in an effort to keep the park safe and enjoyable for all. The Selectmen formally approved the adoption of the rules at Tuesday night’s meeting. (See related file).
Bare Cove Park Committee Chair Patti Coyle explained that the rules are necessary first and foremost because the 500-acre park is a wildlife sanctuary, not a dedicated dog park. “We’ve been telling people for years that Bare Cove Park is NOT a (dedicated) dog park, it’s a wildlife sanctuary.”
Many people use Bare Cove Park to walk their pets off-leash. That’s fine with Coyle and the rest of her committee, provided the new rules are followed. There have been complaints made with more frequency lately that some dogs are allowed to be out of control, waste is not picked up by owners, dog bites, etc. that prompted the need for posted rules.
After researching dog regulations from many towns and conservation areas in Greater Boston, Coyle said she was surprised to learn how comparatively lenient Hingham’s laws are. The town requires dogs to have a license on their collar, and to be leashed or under voice control when not on the owner’s property. In addition, state law requires rabies tags to be attached to dogs’ collars. Other towns, though, have limited spaces and limited times when dogs can run off leash. Some local towns like Weymouth, Hull, Hanover, and Braintree limit the length of the leash used. Weymouth limits the maximum leash length to 6 feet.
In addition, there has been an increase in the amount of commercial dog walkers who use Bare Cove Park, sometimes bringing a group of 8 or more dogs at a time, according to Coyle’s study. Some of these businesses advertise “play groups in the park”, citing Bare Cove falsely as a “dog park”. Large groups of dogs such as these can sometimes exhibit pack behavior. Their appearance can also be intimidating to other park patrons, and these patrons have become more vocal in expressing their concerns.
Coyle said given other towns’ strict regulations regarding tags and leashes, she’s confused “why the leash concept isn’t followed at Bare Cove Park. A leash isn’t a foreign concept.” Requiring owners to carry a leash with them is “very comforting to other park users. The leash remains the standard for all the towns surveyed.”
The Committee decided to institute the rules and associate a fine of $50 for each one “to see if it helps”, Coyle said. Already, “good dog owners are reacting correctly. They don’t want to lose the privilege. We hope bad owners will think twice now that there’s a fine.”
Any fines collected, according to Town Administrator Ted Alexiades, will go into the general town fund. Enforcement will be done by Leslie Badger, the Animal Control Officer, who visits the park regularly at random times.
Coyle said “nobody wants to stand up for the good dog owners. They only complain about the bad ones. That’s why I joined the committee.” She added, “I’m a passionate advocate for the good owners who have put in the effort to train their dogs. It would be a shame to have them lose their off-leash access to Bare Cove Park.”