Pets to be permanently allowed in Coral Springs Parks

Coral Springs, Florida – Coral Springs relaxed its rules about allowing dogs and other pets in city parks, during the pandemic.

According to the present rule, you were allowed to bring your pet as long as the animal was on a non-retractable 10-foot leash, you picked up after your dog, and kept your pet away from courts, fields, bleachers, or playgrounds.

This week, city commissioners decided to make that enforcement rule permanent, but the leash requirement would now be six feet instead of 10 feet.

According to the new rule, which is still proposed and commissioners will need to vote on – comes as other cities, including Tamarac and Coconut Creek, have instituted similar policies meant to encourage residents to use parks as a way to get fresh air and exercise during the pandemic.

According to Robert Hunter, the city’s parks and recreation director, his staff has only received six complaints about animals in the city’s 49 parks from May 2020 to July – including a goat at Mullins Park.

“Keeping dogs out of all 49 parks is very difficult,” he told commissioners.

In particular, his staff is “challenged” by asking residents to leave with their pets if they are “responsibly walking their dog on a leash” or having to call the police to get involved. There would be an exception to the proposal: dogs assisting disabled people and police dogs used in a call-out.