Month: November 2017

Please take our survey if you haven’t already and thank you to all of you who have so far… SURVEY (NOTE: Only take it once. Your IP address will be recognized and it will be invalid.)

Over 500 (a third of Concord’s dog owners) have taken the few minutes to fill it out, but we are still looking for more input. The results are a great indicator of what the Concord dog community feels is important and gives the town much needed data for dog based decisions.

88% consider it important (or greater) for their dogs to walk off-leash (70% say it is “extremely important”). 90% of respondents say they consider “natural beauty” and wooded trails “important” or greater).  85% are not sure if they would use a dog park (with over half saying, “not at all”).  A dog park is “definitely important” to about 6%, with another 6% saying they would “possibly” prefer it over conservation lands.

Respondents say “loss of places for off-leash walks” is their number one concern with 84% saying it needs to be addressed or is a major issue. 83% say “Dogs disturbing wildlife” is “not an issue” or a “very minor issue” and 36% say “out of town dog owners” are  only “somewhat of an issue”.

Please continue to ask your Concord dog(s) owning friends and neighbors to respond as well and as always, be a responsible dog owner and considerate of others whenever outdoors… thanks!

Please take the online survey for Concord Dog Owners. It will only take 8-10 minutes and among other things, give important feedback to the town.

The purpose of this survey is to provide the town with a realistic and clear picture of where we walk, why we walk there and what we enjoy about the experience. We are also concerned about making off-leash encounters pleasant and enjoyable for all users, so we are looking for ways to promote proper pet etiquette. Thank you so much and we appreciate your taking the time to read and respond.

 

CONCORD OFF-LEASH SURVEY

Dec. 6, 7PM @ 141 Keyes Rd.: Options to bring forward for any additional regulation will be formulated at this meeting.

Dec. 11, 7PM @ Town Hall: The NRC will present their findings to the Select Board with their proposed dog regulations, etc..

TBD, (2018): An open town meeting will convene after the New Year and the NRC will present their recommendations to the public, then open for comment.

With pressure from the NRC and education by Concord Unleashed, the responsible dog owners of Concord are keeping their dogs in sight and under voice control, and leaving no trace of dog waste in the woods and fields of the Town Conservation land we all love.

On November 15^th, the NRC subcommittees are planning to report their recommendations for restricting thirteen town-owned properties for use by walkers with unleashed dogs and then present them to the Select Board. Those many responsible dog owners (who train their dogs to be good citizens on and off leash) are the ones who have, for years, been stewards of the lands they walk daily, reporting suspicious activity, removing trash and downed limbs, helping lost walkers, sharing the whereabouts of wildlife so that other walkers can avoid them, and letting the NRC know when the supply of waste bags is low. Though they know, intimately – and appreciate deeply – the lands they walk on, these people are the ones with the most to lose to the proposed restrictions. As some people who live here may play tennis, or golf, or ride bikes or horses, Concord Unleashed citizens’ form of recreation is long rambling walks on conservation land with their dogs off-leash. They are passionate about their sport. They are in the woods and fields every day all year round regardless of the weather. They are the people setting a good example, and encouraging others to comply with the canine commandments:

1. Always maintain control of your dog (leash or effective voice).
2. Keep them within sight at all times.
3. Always pick up after your dog and dispose of waste properly.
4. Leash up when encountering other beings on the trails.
5. Don’t allow dogs on farmed fields or near vernal pools.

As the NRC seeks a balance between conservation and passive recreational use – an important part of NRC’s mission – members of the Concord Unleashed community request the commission to slow down, to notice the improvements that have been made in a matter of months, and take time to work with Concord Unleashed Responsibly to improve the dog-owning public’s understanding of what is expected of all dog owners and their canine companions in the Town of Concord. Let us work together so that walkers and runners without dogs, walkers and runners who are afraid of dogs, walkers with dogs off-leash, and walkers with dogs must be on-leash can all, fully and confidently, enjoy the conservation lands we share.