Carlton considers citywide leash rule amid dog park debate

A walk through Carlton can already feel like a rules test for dogs with too much engine and not enough off-switch. City Council members spent about an hour talking about dogs and a possible dog park before asking staff to draft an ordinance that would require canines to stay leashed in public spaces across town.

The debate exposed how uneven the city’s current setup is. Wennerberg Park, Carlton’s largest open public space and a stretch that borders the North Yamhill River, does not ban free-running dogs outright, although city park rules do keep dogs off sports field and play structure areas. Ladd Park is different: dogs there must be on a leash. Other parks are not clearly covered in city code, leaving owners to guess whether the rules they follow in one place carry over to the next.

That patchwork is exactly what has some council members pushing for a clearer leash requirement. The practical complaints came fast. Free-running dogs can scare people, knock them down and create cleanup problems when owners do not pick up after them. Mayor Linda Watkins said she sometimes ends up dealing with dog messes herself, which turned the conversation from abstract policy into a very everyday kind of annoyance. Carlton’s park rules already put a hard number on that problem: anyone who fails to clean up after a dog can be fined $500.

The push for a broader leash rule also ran into a familiar counterargument from dog owners and some council members: dogs need room to run. For hyperenergetic dogs, that matters. A Border Collie, a German Shorthaired Pointer or any other dog built to move can turn a leash-only town into a tough place to manage safely unless there is somewhere legitimate to burn off energy. Several council members said a fenced or designated dog park could be a better long-term fix than simply closing off public space.

The discussion even reached beyond Wennerberg Park. One councilor said the nearby school playfield is being used like an unofficial dog park, even though signs say dogs are not allowed there. Carlton’s own code already defines an “at large” dog as one off the owner’s premises and not on a leash, cord or chain of not more than six feet, and it also requires licensing for dogs older than six months. Oregon’s dog laws work through Chapter 609 and local enforcement rather than one simple statewide leash rule, which is why Carlton’s next move matters so much. The city listed a Council meeting for May 5 and a Planning Commission meeting for May 11, but a vote on the leash ordinance was not expected on next month’s agenda.