Just a heads up to any dog owners in Hamilton... Brian over on hammerboard is putting together a group of citizens in order to approach the city about setting aside more off-leash areas. THe first goal will be a fenced area in Gage park, but if that's successful then hopefully more will come down the line.
Check out this thread:
http://hammerboard.ca/viewtopic.php?t=43
If you are interested in helping out or even just getting your name on the list of supporters, I'm sure Brian would appreciate it.
Dog parks make life easier for everyone, even non dog owners... reduced poop on the sidewalks, less aggressive dogs (since they get a chance to socialize with other animals), fewer incidents of dogs off leash in public (non designated) areas, etc etc. I also think that dog parks are part of a vibrant urban setting -- potential condo dwellers can be dog lovers too, and a nearby dog park could be one of several tipping points that convince them to leave their suburban acreage in favour of higher density (yet still dog friendly) living :-)