The City of Port Townsend has not served the interests of either dog owners or other residents with its decision to create unfenced off-leash dog parks within residential neighborhoods.

What the city has enabled is packs of dogs (legally, two or more unleashed) running through people’s yards, and it’s already happening.

Every dog? No, but how many dogs do you need to nip at your heels while walking, jogging or cycling on a public trail? Even a friendly dog can knock you over, and some of us are old enough to have a rational concern about falling.

What about strolling with a child and be greeted by an aggressive, unleashed dog? Or walking your own dog on leash when so greeted?

The city will put the responsibility on the dog owner, which is true, but that would be after the fact – the fact the city made confrontations inevitable, then says not our problem.

The upside is ... there is no upside.

The American Kennel Club (AKC) has best practices for dog parks, which include fencing, seating, shade and water. There is no functional difference between a dog park and an off-leash area, as created by the city, except infrastructure. It’s a distinction without a difference – other than one creates a safe place for dogs and people, the other a free-fire zone.

The AKC has clear, simple recommendations for dog parks. It is not unreasonable to insist that those be the minimum for any off-leash area in the city – for the safety and comfort of dogs and humans.

ERIK POULSEN

Port Townsend