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On a leash or not at all?

Marco Island’s Park and Recreation Committee on Tuesday briefly discussed whether the island’s canine residents should be allowed back into city parks.

But some committee members were less than enthused by the idea.

“I’m a dog owner and I see so many people not picking up after their dogs,” said committee Chairwoman Cheryl Reinke. “I just don’t think they should be allowed in the parks.”

The Parks and Recreation Committee proposed the 2004 law, which currently prohibits dogs in Marco Island parks.

At the time there had been some discussion on whether to allow pets in city parks under the condition that they remain on leashes, but the idea was dismissed after several residents said dogs are a conflict with kids in parks.

The fact that residents who wanted to allow pets on a leash didn’t come forward at any public meetings didn’t help the matter, said Parks and Recreation Director Dana Souza.

The City Council was scheduled to discuss a possible easing of the city’s ban on canines at Monday’s City Council meeting, but the item was deferred because Councilman Ted Forcht was absent.

Forcht had asked for the item to be added to the agenda. After seeing how similar island municipalities are handling the issue, the ban merited another look by council members, he said.

Souza said he understood why the issue was being revisited.

“Some people feel about their dogs how some people feel about their children,” said Souza. “They would love to walk their dogs at the parks.”

However, committee member Stacy Witthoff said she wasn’t sure that letting owners walk their dogs in the park, even with restrictions, would work.

“There are just too many irresponsible owners,” she said. “As a mother, if I want to walk my kids around the park, I don’t want to worry about a dog on an 8-foot leash that can pull their owner away and jump at my kids.”

Committee member Dan Reiley said, although he was not a dog owner, he felt that canines should be let back into city parks, especially since “dog owners have been promised a dog park for as long as the city has been around.”

He said dogs should be allowed with the understanding that they must be on a leash and that owners would be required to pick after them, Reiley said.

Souza acknowledged that plans for a dog park on Marco have been around for a few years, but have run into problems.

The committee did not vote on the issue or make any recommendations, but the idea of time restrictions for when the dogs could be in the parks was suggested.

Souza said the committee would have to wait for the council’s decision on whether to revisit the issue before any further action can take place.

Recently the city of Naples decided to reconsider its own dog ban.

On Sept. 6, Marco Island’s neighbor to the north voted to allow the four-legged friends on leashes through city parks — excluding playgrounds — without owners fearing a citation.

Naples will install plastic bag dispensers and separate trash cans for dog feces, but owners still can be fined if they do not clean up after their pets.

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For more information visit www.cityofmarcoisland.com.