New Leash Law In Effect For NFA Properties

By Nancy K. Crevier

There will be no more frolicking freely in the fields for Fido if he is on Newtown Forest Association (NFA) land. In response to several complaints from NFA members and others, particularly concerning the Holcomb Hill Wildlife Preserve off of Great Hill Road, effective September 1, a new dog policy issued by the NFA requires all dogs to be leashed at all times while visiting properties managed by the NFA.

Signs will be posted at various properties informing visitors of this rule; however, the leash requirement applies to all NFA properties, whether posted or not.

The NFA leash law merely reinforces the Connecticut Dog Law 22-364 concerning dogs roaming at large that states in part: “No owner or keeper of any dog shall allow such dog to roam at large upon the land of another and not under control of the owner or keeper or the agent of the owner or keeper, nor allow such dog to roam at large on any portion of any public highway and not attended or under control of such owner or keeper or his agent, provided nothing in this subsection shall be construed to limit or prohibit the use of hunting dogs during the open hunting or training season…. Violation of any provision of this subsection shall be an infraction.”

The leash law is important not only to ensure the enjoyment of the lands by all visitors, but because pets roaming at large can bother or kill wildlife, disturb understory vegetation and damage the banks of waterways, according to information posted on the NFA website. Off-leash dogs also disturb ground nesting birds and young, native plants.

NFA properties affected by the leash law include Holcombe Hill Wildlife Preserve at 55 Great Hill; Holcombe Preserve Memorial Trail at Great Hill and Birch Hill Road; Hattertown Pond Preserve at Castle Meadow and Maltbie Road; Paul E. Cullens Wildlife Preserve at 9 Key Rock Road; Nettleton Preserve at 15-25 Castle Hill Road; Greenleaf Farms Preserve and Equestrian Ridge at 20 Greenleaf Farms Road and 18 Shut Road; Newtown Town Forest at 103-105 Castle Hill Road; Bruno Preserve on Taunton Hill Road; Jay Preserve on Glen Road; Knotts Memorial Trail at Walnut Tree and Black Bridge Road; Cobblers Ridge on Cobbler’s Mill Road; Mulholland Pond Brook on Pond Brook Road; Wasserman Preserve The Glen at Walnut Tree and Black Bridge Road; Cavanaugh Pond at 13 Echo Valley Road; and Fosdick Preserve at 110 Boggs Hill Road and Willowbrook Road.

In addition, Newtown Forest Association officials remind visitors with dogs that it is the owner’s responsibility to pick up and remove from the property any dog waste. It is the hope of the NFA that dog owners will respect the leash and litter laws so that there will be no need to resort to a complete prohibition of dogs on trust-owned property, as has happened in other areas of the state.