A handful of Dartmouth residents are fighting to close an off-leash dog park at Shubie due to noise.

According to the city they have requested a court order to permanently shut down the Sunrise Beach area, alleging that barking dogs have created a nuisance, impacting the use of their properties.

The move has created quite a stir and prompted one group to make a petition on the matter.

Shubie Park Dog Off Leash Area says a small group of people should not decide the future of the park and already has more than 6,600 signatures to try and stop the closure.

In a post on social media, the group says the legal challenge follows more than one attempt to restrict off leash activity despite a “history of responsible community use”.

“For years, Shubie Park has been a safe, well-loved space where our dogs can exercise freely and responsibly, and where residents (and visitors) gather, connect, and enjoy the outdoors. It’s not just a dog park…it is a vital community resource,” reads the post.

The post says spaces like Shubie are rare especially in growing cities where many lack private yards and closing the space would not solve concerns but displace them.

“Removing a designated off-leash area pushes dogs into less suitable spaces and undermines years of responsible use, stewardship, and community cooperation,” says the post.

The group calls for municipal leaders to reject the injunction and work toward a solution.

HRM tells us they cannot provide any further community due to the fact that it is an ongoing litigation.