The Conservation Commission has voted to accept the latest Emergency Management Team guidance which is to lift the emergency leash order for all conservation lands. While the mandate had been loosened in August 2020 to allow off-leash dogs until 10 am, this returns most properties to allowing off-leash dogs with no time restrictions.

Properties that continue to be dog-restricted regardless of time or day of week are the following:

• All school properties are on-leash only, and dogs are not allowed on the playing fields. It turns out that kids hate to slide on crap. Also, parents hate to pick crap out of cleats.
• Burchard Park playing fields: dogs are not allowed on playing fields. See above. Cat Rock’s Melone field at the end of Drabbington is NOT a dog park. Dogs are not allowed on that field either.
• Norumbega Reservoir: dogs are NEVER allowed at Norumbega. That is a Massachusetts Water supply area. No dogs. No horses. No bicycles.
• Wellington Farm: no dogs. Active farming area. One trail allows dogs on-leash, but why bother?
• Legacy Trail and Case Estates: Dogs must always be on a leash at this property. The trail is used by folks with limited mobility and by small children (outdoor classroom). Please leash your dogs.

For users of Cat Rock park, please keep your dogs leashed when walking from parking area to trail. The neighbors to the park do not like Fluffy in their garden or chasing their squirrels, or worse, chickens. That pretty much applies on any trails that pass close to houses–leash your dog. Let’s all be good neighbors.

In addition, please realize that not everyone loves your rambunctious new doodle/golden/fluffball. If your dog cannot be controlled by voice command, then he/she should not be offleash. If the Owl had a dollar for every time someone yelled ahead “don’t worry he’s friendly”, retirement houses would have been bought. There are more people and dogs on the trails than ever before, so please be considerate of others. Leash up if there are others around.

The Owl would ask folks to please be guardians of the trails and forest, both of which we borrow from our children and their children. Please scoop the poop, and carry it out. Please don’t leave poop bags on the trail. It does not add to the experience.