Dog park designation for schoolyard upsets parents

Some parents in Vancouver'sWest End are outragedan elementary school's yard has been designated an on-leash dog park.

A new sign outside of Lord Roberts Elementary School indicates on-leash dogs are welcome in an area of the schoolyard before and after school hours.

Jodi Weber, a mother of a grade six student at the school, said she was shocked when she received an email from the parent advisory council aboutthe dog park.

"I'm appalled and I'm frightened for the health of thechildren in this school," she said.

On Friday, dog feces lay on the ground right in front of the sign.

"It's very unhygienic and it's very disappointing that no one was even consultedabout what we thought," Weber said.

Kurt Heinrich, spokesman for the Vancouver School Board, says leashed dogs are allowed in many schoolyards throughout the city.

"I don't think anything's changed from our perspective, except the fact that we've started toreceive someemails from folks," he said. "So we're going to be looking into it."

Weber says a number of the concerned parents have written a letter to the VSB and are working with school administrators.

"It can't be a dog park when there's thehealth and safety of our childrenat stake," she said.