Residents urge review of Doyle Park leash enforcement after multiple tickets; council says it will coordinate with county

Several Doyle Park regulars urged the City Council on Tuesday to revisit off-leash rules, enforcement practices and signage after a series of public complaints about animal-control ticketing in the neighborhood park.

Speakers including Dr. Richard Buswell and longtime park users described what they said were aggressive enforcement practices by county animal control officers who, they said, watch for dogs off leash and issue citations at short notice. "They take this personally, and so they feel like they believe that they have a right to sneak back into their park and catch people taking their dogs off the leash," Dr. Richard Buswell said during public comment.

Multiple commenters said the fines are large and fall disproportionately on older residents. Carol Cranston described receiving a citation after briefly lowering a leash to pet a friend's dog; she said she later learned traffic court sets the fine amount and that she and other seniors could not easily absorb the penalty. Emily, another regular, said she had seen tickets of several hundred dollars and urged the city to post clear warning signage in the park before issuing fines.

Speaker Rich Carroll and others asked the council to designate at least one city park as an all-hours off-leash area, saying existing fenced dog parks and the restricted Doyle hours (off-leash windows in the morning) do not meet the needs of many dog owners. Several speakers described Doyle Park as a longtime social hub for dog owners.

Council response: Mayor Mark Stapp told commenters the city heard the concerns and that the issue crosses jurisdictions. "Animal control is actually a county operation, not a city operation," he said. The council said staff will contact county animal-control officials, review the city's leash ordinances and the park's signage, and explore whether changes in hours, signage or enforcement approach are appropriate.

Context and next steps: Council staff noted a mix of overlapping issues: the municipal code language on leash rules (city authority), the posted signage at Doyle Park, and the fact that animal control services are provided by Sonoma County. Council members asked staff to coordinate with county officials and report back; no formal ordinance change or bill was introduced at the meeting.

The exchange drew several speakers and several emotional accounts from longtime park users; council members thanked residents for raising the issue and committed to follow up with county partners and city staff.