The City of Englewood is opening a survey to the general public to help determine the future of off-leash dog areas in city parks.

The survey, scheduled to open to the public on Feb. 10, is available at EnglewoodCO.gov. It follows a random-sample survey sent to 5,000 homes in Englewood in hopes of gauging public opinion about the city’s off-leash dog areas.

The survey, developed by the National Research Center, is an outgrowth of work by a task force of Englewood residents that met in the fall and winter to hash out ways to reduce conflict between off-leash dogs and other park users, according to a city news release.

“Unfortunately, some misinformation has been circulating,” the news release reads in part. “No final decisions have yet been made on any changes to the off-leash program.”

Englewood is home to one fenced off-leash dog park, Canine Corral, at Belleview Park. Four other parks have off-leash areas that are unfenced and shared with other users: Centennial Park on Union Avenue near Federal Boulevard, Duncan Park at Layton Avenue and Pennsylvania Street, Jason Park at Jason Street and Quincy Avenue, and the Northwest Greenbelt stretching east along Harvard Gulch from Zuni Street.

Currently, dogs are allowed off-leash in those four parks from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day in the winter, while in the spring, summer and fall, the off-leash hours are split into morning and evening hours with a break in the middle for athletic practices.

The release says city officials do not anticipate that any changes in dog park regulations would be implemented until COVID-19 restrictions are lifted — likely no earlier than fall 2021.

In the meantime, the north side of Jason Park will be closed beginning Feb. 8 until no later than the end of May to allow for turf restoration following above-normal temperatures, below-normal precipitation and increased park usage.

Off-leash area guidelines require users to carry a leash, keep their dogs out of playgrounds, shelters and athletic fields, be respectful of other park users, pick up after their dogs, and to be mindful that other people — including those with leashed dogs — may feel threatened if approached by unleashed dogs.

Dogs must be leashed at all other times and in all other locations in the city, and owners who violate the leash law are subject to fines.

For questions about the off-leash dog areas, call the city parks department at 303-762-2684. To report violations of leash laws, call police dispatch at 303-762-2438.