Saugus board to investigate pooch problems

SAUGUS – When a little girl was recently bitten by a dog at Breakheart Reservation, Ed Murray worried that it was another dog incident that could have been prevented.It turned out the incident was minor, involving a child on a tricycle and a leashed puppy that surprised each other, but Murray, chairman of the Friends of Breakheart, said it is still another indication that something has to be done about the dog situation in the park.Dogs allowed to run off their leashes and owners who neglect to clean up after their four legged friends are problems that have long plagued the park. Murray said three-quarters of the phone calls and e-mails he receives are concerning dog issues. How to resolve those issues, however, has been a stumper.Murray said in an attempt to finally address the concerns, a committee made up of representatives from the Department of Conservation and Recreation, himself and a few other people will take an in depth look at the dogs’ role in the park.Last year, the problem with wayward dogs and their owners reached such a head that the Board of Selectmen stepped in and tried to help.In October, the board voted to allow Breakheart Reservation employees to ticket errant dog owners inside the state park but DCR decided otherwise and nixed the idea before it got started. A spokesman for DCR said at the time that municipalities don’t have the jurisdiction to have state employees on the state payroll perform duties other than their official jobs.Technically, State Police monitor the park and have the right to ticket dog owners who fail to comply with the park’s rule but Murray said the State Troopers have neither the manpower nor the desire to be relegated to dog duty.The park does have a designated, leash-free spot called “Bark Place,” but it never really took off the way Murray anticipated.”I realize that dog walkers have rights too,” he added. “This might mean we develop more dog park areas in the park. I don’t know. It’s all in the very early stages.”