MOSES LAKE - The Moses Lake City Council voted against a proposal to ban dogs from parks during festivals.

The proposed ordinance would have prevented dogs from McCosh Park or any other city park during any festival or event in areas used by festivals or events. The proposal suggested a fine of no less than $100 for violators.

The suggestion to restrict dogs from the events came from the Moses Lake Spring Festival organizers. Festival committee President Teri McCurry said the dogs present problems in McCosh Park. Some owners bring potentially dangerous animals into the park.

"Last year, we had no dangerous dogs allowed and I spent, time after time, telling people to get out of the park with their pit bull. (They replied,) 'It's a Labrador.' No it's not," she said. "(They also said,) 'It's a baby. It's never bitten anybody.'"

Once she was walking through the park and a "little puffball" ran out and bit her, she said. When she told the owner the dog bit her, the owner replied the dog was a traumatized rescue dog.

"I'm thinking, 'Why would you bring a traumatized rescue dog to a place that has 80,000 people?'" she said. "So I walk by it again, and it bites me again. I said, 'Take your dog out,' and she says, 'There's nothing posted.'"

City Manager Joe Gavinski said he normally would wait until the council told him what they wanted before drafting an ordinance, but with spring festival being held at the end of the month he decided to draft a proposal and present it to the council to ask if they wanted to pass it.

"The farmer's market already excludes (dogs,) based on health district concerns, but there's actually no enforcement availability there because there's no ordinance that prohibits," he said. "They've got something else that's going on and have posted."

Councilmember Dick Deane disagreed with the proposal, saying since he retired and started traveling, he noticed more people take their dogs with them than their children when they travel.

"I'm wondering if it would prevent people from attending our farmers market or our different auto shows or our car shows in the parks, activities that bring the public in," he said. "I'm wondering if it's just too broad."

Councilmember Karen Liebrecht agreed with Deane, saying people travel everywhere with their dogs and it's a broad statement.

"Any festival or any event concerns me," she said. "It just seems as far as a dog biting you, there are ordinances for that. I mean, right then and there the dog could have been taken care of."

When McCurry asked how they could deal with the animals, Liebrecht answered she could call police or animal control.

"I realize that is very difficult to do when you've got so many people in such a small area, but, once again, you're punishing a majority of people for some poor actions and poor choices by some people," she said. "I'm really sorry that you got bit."

McCurry replied she wasn't worried about herself, but she was worried about children smaller than some of the dogs.

"So if we punish them by not being able to bring a dog in, is that worse than a kid being bitten in the face?" she asked. 

Liebrecht asked Police Chief Dean Mitchell if the dogs were a problem during past spring festivals.

"We haven't had any calls that I'm aware of," he said. "I have personally seen people bring pit bulls to the festival and I had to remove the dogs, but it is a busy time for us too. We have a lot of things going on, so I'm not saying we haven't had problems, but they just haven't been brought to our attention."

Councilmember David Curnel said in his experience, the police have a strong presence at the festival.

"So, if you do have dogs that are a problem, I think that's how they should be dealt with," he said. "There are a lot of things to consider with this ordinance and I think trying to push it tonight is, for me, it's just too much. I would need some time to digest this and think about it and I would have to vote 'no' today."

The council unanimously opposed the proposal. Mayor Jon Lane and Councilmember Bill Ecret were not present.