By CAROL ZABILSKI

For The Beachcomber

When we moved to Vashon, we were delighted to find the rules regarding dogs in parks less rigid than in the city. Providing free waste bags and handy garbage cans and allowing dogs to run free if they are not bothering others seemed wonderfully enlightened. Now we find that, though the policies are gentle, the experience can be downright unpleasant.

The waste bags are still available, but not enough people use them. Just this past week, there were five piles of poop within 30 feet of Agren Park’s entrance. It’s bad enough to encounter messes along the roads, but in a place created for public enjoyment?

As for allowing dogs to run free if they’re not bothering others, few owners seem to notice that their four-footed charges are rushing up to people walking leashed dogs. It doesn’t matter that the loose dog is “friendly.” Leashed dogs, charged by a friendly one, may lunge for it or bolt to escape, endangering themselves, the person holding the leash or even the loose dog. The person with the leash can do nothing to ward off disaster. It’s likely that he is leash-walking his dogs for a good reason; they may be old, injured or aggressive. How my heart dropped when, part way around the field with a leashed dog recovering from surgery, I saw a vehicle pull up and three dogs tumble out, wild for a romp. How often have we seen elderly dog walkers accosted by two or more exuberant animals whose owner is not paying attention.

Don’t misunderstand. I love to throw a ball for my dogs and see them run free. We enjoy taking them to the beach to play and swim. In the city, these were furtive, risky acts; we have been ticketed for leash law violations even when the playfield was deserted and no one else was on the beach.

So let me remind my Vashon neighbors: Being able to exercise our dogs off leash in a park is a privilege, not a right. The current policy could change in a trice. Because we care enough about our dogs to bring them to the park in the first place, shouldn’t we follow through by picking up after them and preventing them from bothering other dogs and people?

Parks and park use are indicators of civility. They demonstrate our appreciation for the natural world and our regard for one another. In the city, parks are clearly for people. On Vashon, we have the chance to enjoy our parks with our pets. It takes just a little consideration.

— Carol Zabilski lives on Vashon with a dog, a rescued cat and her spouse.