Creation of a second dog park with a small dog only area within Mission, BC

The purpose of this petition is to gather signatures from residents who support the creation of a second fenced off-leash dog park that includes a separate area for small dogs within Mission, BC.

This park would be a designated area where residents and their well-behaved canine citizens can exercise and have fun in a clean, safe environment. We want to create a beautiful, well-maintained space open to all dog lovers and friends who will be willing to uphold the park’s rules and restrictions. This park will be designed to satisfy the needs of dog-owners and non-dog owners alike. We could aim for this park to be a community project, supported in large part by volunteer dog advocates and maintained in partnership with the City of Mission.

We are asking the City of Mission to allow the construction of a second off-leash dog park with a separate small dog area for the following reasons:

-The current dog park located in Centennial Park is a communal dog park and small dog owners avoid or have anxiety taking their dogs there for safety reasons.
-The current dog park located in Centennial Park is not adequate in size to have a separation for a small dog area so all the dogs no matter their size can truly have room to run free.
-All the larger communities around Mission (Abbotsford, Aldergrove, Langley, Maple Ridge) all have multiple locations and Mission currently only has one.
-Such a park would reduce angst between dog owners, non-owners, police and park authorities regarding dog access to other parks, beaches, etc.
- This park would increase opportunities for residents to interact with their neighbors and help create a sense of community.
- Many dogs need exercise above and beyond human limitations; furthermore, many dog owners do not have a yard where their dogs can spend time outside, and leashes greatly limit the dog’s space and pace.
- Socializing dogs is very beneficial to the community, since it makes them less skittish and can mitigate aggressive behavior when meeting other dogs and people.
- Regular exercise is great for any dog's longevity and weight control, and the overall effect of regular exercise makes most dogs calmer and better behaved.
-Mission currently has one off-leash dog park which is communal for dogs of all sizes. For the safety, enjoyment and welfare of all dogs, it is important to have a separate area for small dogs. In the event of unexpected aggression between dogs, smaller dogs need to be with their own size so they can adequately defend themselves. Also, certain larger breed dogs have small prey syndrome bred into them and they also should be able to safely enjoy the dog park as well with dogs their own size.

Statistics show that 35% of all Canadian households own at least one dog with lots owning multiple. So for a City of over 41,000 residents that is at least 14,350 dogs. More people are deciding to become dog parents first with a recorded 54% of millennials referring to themselves as dog parents. A dog park serves a similar proportion of the community population to that of children's playgrounds and athletic fields.

This petition and its electronic signatures will be attached to the official application submitted to the City of Mission's Parks and Recreation Department.

Please show your support: Sign and share this petition.
Even if you don't have a dog, but think dogs and owners deserve a space to run free without bothering others, please sign.