A recent Toronto council vote will make the establishment of dog parks in the city a little easier.

Included within the revised “People, Dogs and Parks Strategy” is a provision to allow the city to establish off-leash areas in neighbourhoods with no formal dog owners’ association.

North York resident and dog owner Steve Stober is a regular at Ledbury Park, one of two current area off-leash parks. He described the park as “very busy,” adding that area dog owners could benefit from additional off-leash parks in currently unutilized areas. “In my mind, there’s a lot of parkland that really isn’t being used,” Stober said, pointing to the large green space near Ranee Avenue and William R. Allen Road. “That’s a perfect spot for a dog run as well.”

The city is currently examining a proposed off-leash area for Willowdale Park, located off Hollywood Avenue. In addition to Ledbury, the northeast section of Woburn Park, off Cranbrooke Drive, also offers an off-leash area to North York residents.

A recent application for an off-leash area at Ellerslie Park was denied based on community feedback from a public meeting.