This is in reference to the Sept. 3 news article, "Dog free to run trails? Ogden cracking down." City officials are condemning our dogs to leashes on east bench trails. The article stated that numerous complains have come in about dogs being off-leash and feces on the trail. I truly doubt they had any complains; this is just a way for Mayor Matthew Godfrey and his elitist pals to try to control the east bench.
Godfrey is either going after the dogs, going after Mount Ogden Golf Course, trying to build luxury homes on our beautiful open space, or building multiple unneccessary "water towers" on the east bench. Anyone see a theme?
Since Godfrey has been mayor, animal services have been cut dramatically and animals are euthanized sooner or sent to facilities that do experiments on them. There have been so many times I have called Ogden animal control department about legitimate animal-abuse incidents and what I've usually been told is they can do nothing about it. Yet, they will send out foot soldiers to harass people who take care of their dogs by walking them off-leash on the trails.
I have also made calls to Ogden police about gang members shooting guns on the trails and creating graffiti all over rocks, signs, etc., yet I have seen no reponse to this true danger.
The article states that having a dog off-leash justifies a class B misdeamanor and up to six months in jail. What nonsense! Rapists get less punishment than this. Regarding animal feces on the trail; it is not a problem. It is a way to fuel prpaganda. Even if it were a problem, dogs on leash can defecate just as well as dogs off-leash.
Speak up for your furry companions. Write and call the Ogden City Council and demand more than just the 24th Street dog park. Demand off-leash trail space as well. Off-leash trail space has been successful in cities all over the country, including Salt Lake City.
Jennifer Harding
Ogden
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