Dear Editor,
I have been living in Sylvan Lake since 2009 — almost five years. My family and I moved here from Edmonton. It is a pleasure to live here. The people are friendly, there are many amenities, and the natural beauty of the lake makes me feel like I am incredibly fortunate to call such a beautiful town “home”.
However, I have one complaint. As I walk my dog down our many beautiful trails, I am appalled at the dog feces everywhere. Does our town have a bylaw about picking up after your dog? If it doesn’t, we need one YESTERDAY. If it does, we need a bylaw officer to enforce this regulation immediately.
If you allow your dog to defecate in a public area and you don’t pick up after him, you should be ashamed of yourself. What are you thinking — leaving such filth for others to step around? How can you possibly justify such a blatant destruction of our town’s natural beauty? The reason we have public restrooms is precisely because we know that human waste needs to be managed and contained. Is it any different for our pets? Dogs, just like humans, are subject to illness and disease if their waste is not properly managed. YOU, the dog owner, are responsible for managing your dog’s natural bodily functions.
If you truly love your pet, give him the dignity of being a clean and respectful member of our community. Let him walk our trails with his head held high. Your dog doesn’t want to litter our streets and trails with his waste any more than you do. Respect your pet and our town — clean up after your dog, and keep Sylvan Lake a beautiful resort for everyone to enjoy — people AND pets. I hope our town council and mayor take action to enforce this reasonable expectation, and appropriately fine citizens who have no common sense.
Al Libby,
Proud resident of Sylvan Lake