Residents can now let dogs off their leashes in the city.
The Board of Aldermen voted 17-7 in favor of a law allowing dogs to run off leash at designated parks throughout the city.
The board shied away from setting hours and locations for pooches to roam, delegating that responsibility to a yet-to-be-formed Advisory Committee.
Alderman Susan Albright, chairman of the Dogs Off Leash Task Force for the past two years, thought dog owners, their counterparts and park aficionados would support the measure.
"I believe this ordinance, if enacted properly, can create a win, win, win situation for all of those parties," she said at the board's Monday meeting.
Task force members compiled two years' worth of observation and research into the current legislation. Community groups would be called to organize around a local park and propose it as a future off-leash site to members of an Advisory Committee, comprising concerned residents and city officials - including one alderman.
That committee would refer all park applications either to the Conservation or the Parks and Recreation commissions - depending on which group owns the land in question - for final approval.
The Advisory Committee would also set rules regarding time and days of use, with the two commissions' final nod. Enforcement would largely fall on the shoulders of the sponsoring community group, because the city has only two animal control officers.
An evaluation of the two-year pilot program will be conducted to determine if it should continue.
Several amendments were tacked onto the legislation before it passed Monday night.
Alderman Lenny Gentile proposed all five major league baseball fields be excluded from off-leash consideration.
"Leagues themselves spend a considerable amount of money on their fields to keep them in good shape," said Gentile, quoting annual upkeep of up to $20,000 for some groups.
Although his amendment passed, Gentile was among the night's "no" voters. Aldermen Jay Harney, Cheryl Lappin, Rick Lipof, Ken Parker, Anthony Salvucci and Amy Mah Sangiolo joined him.
Parker made a failed attempt at requiring all off-leash areas to be fenced in, arguing the move would avoid potential health hazards such as roundworm and giardia infections.
As someone who has worked on the off-leash issue for years, Alderman Marcia Johnson opposed the fencing requirement. "Putting this amendment in place, you're going to kill this whole thing," she said.
Albright also said the off-leash park system works well in Somerville, Cambridge and Brookline, where fences are not required.
An admitted dog owner and lover, Harney shared that he was "bit in the butt at 6 years old" and was deathly afraid of dogs for years.
"I don't want another kid to go through what I went through," he said. "And I believe it will happen if we open areas (without fences)."
Although Parker's amendment died, the essence of it was salvaged in small part under a resolution Alderman Ben Weisbuch introduced.
Weisbuch's clause gives two points of advice to the Advisory Committee: that it recommend the Health Department conduct regular studies on dogs' impact on local parks and that it fence in areas whenever feasible.
The most vociferous opposition to the off-leash law came from Salvucci, who said he would wage "World War III" if kids are harmed in parks.
"We should know where these parks are designated and we don't know that," he said.
Other members reluctantly signed on to the law, but issued a warning.
Alderman Verne Vance said he would cast a yes vote only if the alderman sitting on the future Advisory Committee would ensure that future park updates lay out all the facts - down to the goriest detail.
"I don't want a whitewash," he said.
Leslie Friday can be reached at lfriday@cnc.com
