The City of Toronto has decided to bar a specific group of people (and, by extension, animals) from one of its dog parks. Confoundingly, the ban applies to those who may be its most frequent users by design.

Dog walkers and the pets in their care are no longer permitted in the designated off-leash area in Ramsden Park following a motion from their local councillor, who claims that their "heavy use" of the space is creating "multiple adverse effects for abutting residents, including noise, disturbance and parking conflicts."

Many are seeing it as a hilarious case of NIMBYism in the affluent Summerhill area, and are wondering who in the world would expect dogs playing in a dog park to ever be a silent affair. There is also the fact that, strangely, the targeted demographic is still allowed to use the rest of the green space.

It is reminiscent of the time dogs were prohibited from barking in the pooch-only part of a different Toronto green space last spring.

🚨 BREAKING NEWS 🗞 📰 🚨

Due to a loud dog 🐕 🐩 🐶 park local dog walkers have been banned!

Our plan now is to immediately hire Shhhhhhh 🤫 🤐 monitors to ensure the dog park is kept quiet at all times of the day!

TORONTO TRULY IS A JOKE THESE DAYS! 🤣😂😂🤣

— BG (@billako14) August 26, 2024

"Use of some Dogs Off-Leash Areas by commercial dog walkers can create or exacerbate conflict between dogs and neighbouring residents, especially when the dogs off-leash area abuts homes without an intervening noise barrier," Ward 11 University—Rosedale Councillor Dianne Saxe wrote to her peers in June.

"[We] do not have any criteria for determining which dogs off-leash areas should be permitted to commercial dog walkers... these residents have been unsuccessfully requesting relief from these adverse effects for years. It is appropriate to temporarily close this dogs off-leash area to commercial dog walkers until the criteria are developed."

Following the motion's passing and the implementation of the ban last week, members of the city's pet care industry have launched a petition that calls it unfair to "taxpayers who deserve fair access to public spaces."

Camping, shooting-up drugs, loud parties, you name it are all being allowed in city parks and they choose to put their efforts into banning dog walkers. It tells you everything you need to know about the priorities of our idiot councillors.

— The Woodpecker (@PicidaeLignum) August 25, 2024

It also says the original complaints that sparked the move are based on "false claims" from a select few individuals in the area and points out that there are no other designated small dog areas nearby for walkers to use instead, affecting both their occupation and the safety of their clients' animals.

The change.org appeal, which has 680 signatures at the time of publication, suggests that the City instead impose a limited window for these small businesses to use the Ramsden dog park to "address the concerns about noise and park usage" in a way that is "practical and balances the needs of all stakeholders."