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City uses dog owners as cash grab
By cuzzy | August 25, 2007
I read this today in the Chronicle Herald and it really bugs me.
When Dan Barnhill took his puppy Diesel for a walk at Point Pleasant Park, he had no idea he would be told to shell out more than $200 for walking down the wrong path.
The park patrol officer who came up to them didnât ask, ” âAre you aware that youâre not allowed here and youâre subject to a $222 fine?â ” the Whites Lake man said.
“It was just, poof, youâre getting it.”
The 14-week-old Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever apparently enjoyed his stroll â on a leash â and elicited several admiring comments during his first visit to the south-end Halifax park on Thursday. But then Diesel and his owner met up with the park patrol officer while heading back to the car in the main parking lot near Black Rock Beach.
The officer wanted to know who owned the dog.
“I just figured he was going to check the dog licence or something, so I gave him my driverâs licence,” Mr. Barnhill said.
But the park patrol officer “whips out his ticket book and he says, âYouâre getting a summary conviction and a fine for $222 for being here with him.â “
When Mr. Barnhill asked why, the park patrol officer told him that dogs are not allowed in the area between the beach and the Sailors Memorial after 10 a.m.
The park officer couldnât tell him when the rule went into effect, and when Mr. Barnhill told him he didnât see any signs, the park officer responded: “Thatâs not my problem, sir.”
I am not saying I don’t agree with the rule (although silly) but I have been to the park many times with Bosco and the signs are not very clear and obvious. I almost went down there the first time I took my dog there as well and just noticed the sign at the last second only because there was a park worker near it.
I don’t get why there was no warning issued or even a worthy explanation. It sounds to me like the city needs to make some money and since they can’t stop crime or control the streets they have to take it out on dog owners. I am pretty sure if there was a warning issued, the man would of felt bad, said he won’t do it again and life would go on. But now the whole experience is tainted and if I was Mr. Barnhill I would never step foot in the park again and tell his friends to do the same.
Fix the real problems in the city and stop using dog owners as a cash grab. I know where I won’t be taking my dog today, or any day for that matter.
Just so you know the owner of two pit bulls that escaped their pen and killed 37 chickens in a coop in Cow Bay last week has also been fined $222.
Seems like an out of balance fine don’t you think? One person made an honest mistake, one person has dangerous dogs that did serious damage. Makes you wonder about this city.
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Topics: Daily news, Halifax, dog news, info |
October 26th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
They creap up on you and BAM! you got a ticket.