Officials remind owners to leash dogs at preserves

Ty Young The Arizona Republic Apr. 14, 2006 12:00 AM

Dogs gone wild at South Mountain Park and other city preserves has become a more common occurrence during the past year, and officials are vowing increased enforcement of leash laws to protect the public and other dogs.

The message will be simple: Leash your dog at all times or face fines up to $2,500.

Ticketed individuals must appear in court.

David Urbinato, spokesman for the Phoenix's Parks and Recreation Department, said dog owners initially will be warned via a new education campaign in the South Mountain area.

City officials are looking to expand the program to other city preserves but will focus on South Mountain for the time being, Urbinato said.

In November and December, city staff surveyed dog owners frequenting the Pima Canyon trailhead at South Mountain, trying to gauge the severity of the problem.

What they found surprised no one, Urbinato said.

"Most people out here know the law, but they think they're the only ones in the park sometimes," he said. "Those conditions just don't exist anymore."

Of the 87 people surveyed, nearly half of them said they allow their dogs off leashes at some point along the trails.

Most who admitted to unleashing their dogs said they did so when they didn't see anybody else around. But because South Mountain and the Ahwatukee Foothills trailheads in particular are seeing so much volume, there are always other hikers and other dogs nearby.

"What has really impacted this is just the sheer numbers," said Sue Arbogast, a park ranger in the North Mountain preserve who enjoys hiking with her dog Sampson on South Mountain. "We're seeing a greater number of people out here, but that doesn't mean they're all visible."

With 58 miles of trails in the preserve, the largest city-owned park in the country, rangers have struggled to properly educate the masses visiting the preserve.

By exposing the issue through fliers and city publications, Urbinato hopes the message will be heard -and more importantly, heeded - before dog owners step onto the trail with their pets.

Reducing conflicts between hikers and dog owners also is a goal.

"You just don't want anybody coming off the trail angry or upset," Urbinato said.

City parks and recreation staff are surveying dog owners using the North Mountain preserve.

Results have been similar to those in the south, though the volume of traffic in the north is much less, officials said.