By Elizabeth Wilkerson -- Daily Staff Writer

WOODSTOCK — Although a proposed ordinance would require that dogs remain leashed while in Shenandoah County's parks, pets will still be welcome at the facilities, Parks and Recreation Director Pam Sheets said this week.

At Tuesday's meeting of the Board of Supervisors' public safety and code committee, Sheets said she thinks a leash law is necessary at the county parks because they are mixed-use facilities. A leash law would "reduce some safety issues," Sheets said, though dogs would still be welcome.

If approved, the ordinance would require "all animals within any county park or recreation area" to remain at all times on a leash, which can be no longer than 10 feet, according to the document. Animals would be prohibited from children's play areas, including fenced ballfields, and owners would be required to "clean-up and properly dispose of animal waste," the ordinance says.

In a Thursday interview, Sheets said the need for the regulation became clear as she spent time at the county park in Maurertown this summer.

"I have seen dogs on the loose there, and have seen them interact with people in different ways," she said. Sheets said she has been approached by unleashed dogs at the park, and, though she was not scared, she knows some people would be uncomfortable in a similar situation.

"I'm especially concerned about kids," she said, because a negative experience with an animal can stick with a child long after the incident actually occurs.

The leash law would apply to the county park in Maurertown and the grounds of the old Edinburg Middle School, she said, though it can be re-evaluated when other recreational areas, such as the Keister tract, are opened.

Sheets said it will be interesting to see "what kind of comments" are raised by residents during the public hearing on the proposed ordinance. She said creating the regulation is a positive step.

"There are still opportunities for off-leash areas in Shenandoah County, so I think we can make it work," she said.

Also Tuesday, the committee discussed a proposed ordinance that would set out the hours of operation for the county's parks, prohibit alcohol at the parks and allow the Sheriff's Office to enforce park regulations. On Thursday, Sheets said such regulations aren't currently on the books, and she wanted them stated in an ordinance.

Under the proposed ordinance, if a Parks and Recreation staff member sees a patron with alcohol, they can contact the Sheriff's Office to handle the situation rather than "trying to deal with a person one-on-one," she said.

"It just eliminates a lot of risk for everybody doing that," she said.

The committee recommended Tuesday that the Board of Supervisors advertise public hearings for both proposed ordinances.