[bouldercouncilhotline] Hotline: Feasibility of Dogs on Open Space Suggestions

[cmosupport at bouldercolorado.gov]

Sender: Armstead, Steve

Dear Council Members,
 
Below are staff responses to the questions on the Voice and Sight Tag Program sent by council member Young.
 
Dear Open Space Staff,

The following two suggestions were sent to council in an email:

1) Require a fecal sample when dog owners apply for Open Space privileges or when renewing their dog licenses. The city would keep a file of the DNA and any poop samples found could be easily identified, and the owner fined accordingly.
2) Require owners to have their dogs pass the nationally recognized Canine Good Citizen test offered by the Boulder Humane Society and sponsored by the American Kennel Club. Identifying tags are issued and no
 extra work or processing would be required by the City of Boulder. 

Did staff consider either of these options as part of the revised green tag program? Would it be possible to respond to the feasibility of implementing these ideas at Tuesday's hearing?

Thank you!

Regards,
 
Mary Dolores Young
Boulder City Council
303-501-2439
youngm at bouldercolorado.gov
 
Staff  Response:  
 
1) Dog Fecal Samples— No.  Staff did not consider requiring fecal samples and setting up a system to manage this type of information for the enforcement of excrement removal rules.   Staff will only minimally be able to discuss the feasibility
 of implementing such a system.  
 
2) Canine Good Citizen Test— Yes.  Staff did consider the American Kennel Club’s Community Canine (Canine Good Citizen) test in assessing options to improve the Voice and Sight (Tag) Program.  Staff initially proposed a skill demonstration
 test as a requirement for participating in the Tag Program; however, the proposal was not supported by the Open Space Board of Trustees.  The Community Canine test is a helpful and informative “evaluation” to assess skills conducive to being in social situations,
 around other people and dogs.   It could certainly be used as a measure of overall dog obedience and as a requirement for participation in the Tag Program.  The disadvantage of the test is that it is done all
on leash so it does not assess voice and sight control skills as is necessary for a reinstatement test.   The Community Canine test was used as a resource for developing the Voice and Sight Evaluation Test.
 
Steve Armstead
Environmental Planner
Open Space and Mountain Parks
City of Boulder
armsteads at bouldercolorado.gov