No more unleashed dogs in El Paso County parks

You’ll now have to keep your dog on a leash while going through parks in El Paso County.

The board of county commissioners approved new regulations Thursday effectively ending a pilot program that allowed unleashed dogs in county parks and cutting back the hours that county parks are open.

In 2017, the county began a pilot program allowing dogs to be “off leash, but in control.” However, the parks department says “park patrons have found the current ‘control’ rule challenging to interpret. It can be subjective and difficult to enforce.”

That’s a polite way of saying too many dog owners weren’t keeping good control of their dogs.

“We clearly heard … from some responsible dog owners,” Commissioner Cami Bremer said. “But not all dog owners are as responsible. It is our responsibility to ensure the safety and enjoyability of our parks. Unfortunately, sometimes rules have to be made because not everyone is a responsible dog owner.”

Parks inside the city of Colorado Springs already require you to keep your dog on a leash unless you’re in specific off-leash areas. Speaking of which, the county is adding two new off-leash dog parks this year at Falcon Regional Park and Fountain Creek Regional Park. Bear Creek and Fox Run regional parks already have off-leash areas.

The new rule takes effect immediately, and the board also voted to change county park hours to 5 a.m. – 9 p.m., which means they’re closing two hours earlier.