Parks are places where we seek relaxation, refreshment and rejuvenation. But stories of dog attacks painted a very different picture during February’s El Paso County Parks Board meeting. Park users described frightening incidents of off-leash dogs attacking leashed pets and their owners. Others at the meeting described well-behaved dogs under voice control in county parks.

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A proposed change to park rules would reinstate a requirement that all dogs be leashed. That policy was amended a few years ago to allow dogs to be off-leash if they obeyed their owners’ voice commands.

I was ambivalent to the change. While I was pleased that the parks department was giving voice control a try, other parks departments on the Front Range had considered such a policy change. The few that tried it found the rule difficult to enforce. Your definition of “under voice control” might differ from mine.

Since parks are built and supported by all of us for all of us, the over-arching “given” needs to be that all users feel safe in our parks. After hearing public testimony and reading scores of comments, Parks Board members unanimously voted to return to the on-leash rule, in alignment with Colorado Springs parks rules.

There is good news for those who like to let their pooches run free. Existing county dog parks still would allow pets off-leash. And when Falcon and Fountain Creek regional dog parks open this spring, we will have close to a dozen dog parks and off-leash areas in our region.

County commissioners will make the final decision on the proposed rule change. Parks staff hopes to have the new policy in place by April 1. No one expects a flurry of tickets and fines to result, but park security will be able to ticket pet owners who don’t follow the rules.

It’s one of life’s more annoying lessons: A few poorly trained pets and inconsiderate pet owners spoil if for the rest. At the same time, our county parks are a gift to be enjoyed by all. No one should step on a county trail and feel at risk of possible dog attacks.

OutThere Note: ONE TAKE articles are all about someone sharing their opinion. This is the opinion of the author, not necessarily OutThere Colorado.