A verbal dispute between a woman and a group with a service dog entering a Fort Collins Natural Area that prohibits dogs was caught on video, leading to questions about city policy involving service animals.
The video posted Nov. 22 on TikTok and shows a woman telling the group that service animals are not allowed at the “park,” which was identified by Fort Collins Natural Area staff as Coyote Ridge Natural Area.
That natural area is one of several city-managed natural areas where pet dogs are not permitted.
The video shows the woman using her cellphone to video the group. A person in the group identifies it as being from the “community college” and that they are on a field trip.
The same person explains to the woman that the service dog is allowed in the classroom as a federally protected law.
The woman argues the property they are on is owned by the city of Fort Collins.
Members from the group question the woman about the federal Americans with Disabilities Act regarding service dogs not applying to the natural area and answer that by saying the federal law “trumps” state law.
“When you have a protected wildlife area, dogs are not allowed, that is a hard and fast rule,” the woman tells the group. “Did you see the disturbance of the animals around you as you walked?”
The video ends with a member of the group explaining the legality of the leashed service dog to the woman again before the group continues to walk into the natural area located between Fort Collins and Loveland.
So, who was right regarding the service dog in a no-dogs-allowed city natural area?
It is true that pet dogs are not allowed at Coyote Ridge, Running Deer, Bobcat Ridge, Cottonwood Hollow, Fossil Creek Reservoir and Soapstone Prairie natural areas, according to the natural areas website.
However, the website also states service animals are an exception.
“In alignment with the Americans with Disabilities Act, service animals that have been trained to assist a person with a disability are always allowed. Animals designated as emotional support, therapy, comfort, or companion animals are not service animals under the ADA,” the website states.
The website states service animals, like all pets, must be kept on a leash, owners must pick up after the service animal and dispose of waste in the correct receptacle, and follow all other property regulations. Pet pickup bags are offered at most trailheads.
City parks contain similar requirements.
What happens if you don’t have your dogs on leash at city properties that allow dogs?
Natural Area rangers patrol sites and enforce the city’s leash law. Violators can be ticketed.
Through Nov. 25, rangers wrote 56 citations this year for animals at large in a natural area, eight for animals at large in the city and four for entering into a natural area with a dog, horse or other animal where prohibited, according to the department. They wrote another 133 warnings for animals at large in a natural area.
Are there public properties in Fort Collins where dogs can be off leash?
The city of Fort Collins has several dog parks where they can be off leash.
Those parks can be found on the city of Fort Collins website.
Can you take your dog to Larimer County open spaces?
Many of the properties allow dogs but require them to be on leash and to pick up and properly dispose of waste.
The properties that don’t allow pet dogs include Red Mountain Open Space and the Rimrock Trail at Devil’s Backbone Open Space, according to the department’s website.
Colorado State Parks have similar rules.
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