More leash-free zones for dogs may be on the way in Mississauga

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Published February 23, 2023 at 2:48 pm

dog park leash Burlington

Mississauga is looking at how it can add more leash-free parks to better accommodate the city’s 23,000 registered dogs and tens of thousands of others that do not have licences.

The City of Mississauga oversees seven leash-free zones across the city, but there appears to be a need for additional areas in which the dogs can be let free to run and play.

Ward 2 Councillor Alvin Tedjo tabled the matter briefly at Wednesday’s meeting of general committee, asking City staff to bring back a report and recommendation “on how we can facilitate the expansion of these areas” across Mississauga.

“What are the barriers that are preventing us from expanding. Building, parking, whatever it is,” council needs more information so that discussion and debate can be had, said Tedjo.

Staff said it will look into the matter and return with a report.

“We did put in a policy around leash-free zones a number of years ago which restricted where they could go, at the time for maybe good reason, but if it’s the will of council, we will revisit that,” Jodi Robillos, the City’s commissioner of community services, told the councillor.

Mississauga currently operates the following leash-free zones:

  • Etobicoke Valley (south of Dundas St. E., near the West Mall)
  • Garnetwood (Burnhamthorpe Rd. E./Ponytrail Dr.)
  • Jack Darling (south of Lakeshore Rd., near Lorne Park Rd.)
  • Lakeside (Lakeshore Rd. W., between Southdown Rd. and Winston Churchill Blvd.)
  • Quennippenon Meadows (Erin Mills Pkwy., north of Erin Centre Blvd.)
  • Parkway Belt (Kennedy Rd./Eglinton Ave. area)
  • Totoredaca (Meadowpine Blvd., west of Mississauga Rd. and north of Derry Rd.)

Mississauga officials said earlier that of the estimated 60,000 dogs in the city, only 23,000 or so are licensed by their owners.

When added to the number of unlicensed cats across the city, it’s costing Mississauga several million dollars in revenue.

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