Bend boosts leash-rule patrols as park crowds and off-leash complaints rise

Bend Police and the Bend Park and Recreation District are making extra leash-rule visits from Monday, April 27 through Friday, May 1, just as dogs, owners and spring crowds start packing Bend’s parks and trails. The push is aimed at voluntary compliance, but the message carries real bite for handlers who treat fetch time like open season.

Park stewards and community service officers are fanning out across area parks after a steady stream of complaints about off-leash dogs and owners who ignore the rules. Sheila Miller, Bend Police communications manager, said, “We need our community to work together and for everyone to follow park rules.” Joel Lee, BPRD’s park stewardship manager, said leashes protect dogs, other park users, wildlife and shared outdoor spaces.

The rules are clear. Bend city ordinance requires dogs to be leashed in any public area of the city except in designated off-leash areas, and BPRD says the city has nine dog off-leash areas in local parks. The district also says the leash requirement still applies on the walk in, even if a dog is headed to a dog park from the entrance or a parking lot. That detail matters in busy places like Hollinshead Park, Ponderosa Park, Big Sky Park and Pine Nursery Park, where an unleashed dog running from a vehicle can create safety problems fast.

The enforcement side is more than a warning. BPRD says violations can bring a 30-day exclusion from park district property and a $275 fine, along with possible civil or criminal responsibility for a dog’s actions. A similar district campaign post in 2025 described the fine as $250, suggesting the penalty language has been updated in recent messaging.

The complaints explain why the agencies are leaning into education now. BPRD says park staff observed 12,697 dogs on leash in 2025 and 2,864 off leash, which works out to about 77 percent compliance. Bend Police logged 157 dog complaints on park properties in 2025, and another 52 calls have already come in so far in 2026. Bend Police also keeps a public Parks Incidents dashboard, giving residents a running look at the kinds of issues reported on Bend Park and Recreation District property.

One place remains completely off-limits for dogs: Riley Ranch Nature Reserve. The 184-acre preserve on the northwest edge of Bend is managed as a wildlife-sensitive natural area, and dogs and bikes are not allowed there. As park season builds, Bend’s message is simple: hard-running dogs still need hard boundaries, and the city wants that energy spent where everyone can share the space.