The West’s long, lonesome trail is getting mighty crowded these days and, if the trend continues, the peace and freedom that many of us sought when we first pitched camp in Park City will be relegated to the history books.
An ongoing symptom of our evolution from frontier to famous resort town is the increasing level of tension on local trails — between skiers and snow bikers, between walkers and runners and between dog owners and, well, everyone else.
Recent reports of out-of-control dogs, including at least one serious attack resulting in a serious injury, has put at least one unleashed canine on the 10-most-wanted list.
And it is only March. Confrontations between pets and other trail users don’t usually flare up until the dog days of summer.
Last year, the issue ended up on the Summit County Council’s agenda, leading elected officials to try to mitigate the conflict by clarifying existing leash laws while at the same time establishing a second leash-free park to appease more free-spirited pet owners. It was hard to tell, though, whether the second dog park or the onset of winter cooled the rising tensions.
But now that the snow is receding the problem is back. Fortunately the council has hired two staffers to replace Animal Control employees who were laid off during the recession. That will help, but it will not solve all of the conflicts. They will need support from the community — from both those who do not own animals and those who do.
The Park City and Summit County councils need to make it clear they intend to vigorously enforce existing leash laws and will penalize those who break them. And they must continue to provide additional resources to consistently follow through on that message.
The additional officers should be able to shorten response times, which will make irresponsible pet owners more accountable when there are complaints. But the need to establish stiff rules and draconian penalties is only necessary when common sense and basic courtesy have failed.
If Park City and Summit County’s devoted dog owners don’t soon find a way make peace on the range, there will be fewer places for wildlife to roam or for hikers and bikers to play and there will be plenty of discouraging words.