By David F. Rooney
An unprovoked dog attack on an 18-month-old toddler at the Farmers’ Market last month has prompted the child’s family to ask City Hall to ban dogs altogether at the popular weekly event, as well as all other crowded municipal events.
“The Farmers’ Market should be a safe place to bring your kids,” Alison and John Lapshinoff said in a letter to Council. “We would like… Council to discuss banning dogs at the market and other busy public events altogether. Dogs can be unpredictable and the market is a busy environment with a lot of small kids running around. It is often very difficult to keep the two apart.”
The Lapshinoffs wrote the letter after their 18-month-old son, Nikolai, was bitten by an unattended dog that was tied to the gazebo on September 15.
“He required seven stitches in his eyelid and two in his head,” they wrote. “The puncture wound was a quarter-inch away from taking his eye.”
Mayor David Raven called this “a very unfortunate incident” during Tuesday’s regular Council meeting and said his heart goes out to the little boy.” However, Council referred the Lapshinoff’s letter to the municipal Parks, Recreation and Culture and Bylaw Enforcement Committees.
The Lapshinoffs said they’d like not only to see signs about the ban posted at all entrances to the market but actual enforcement by the resense of animal control officers.
“We see no need to spray-paint ‘no dog’ signs on the road,” they said in the letter.
