A sign recently posted by the City in a downtown Toronto dog park had some pet parents seeing red.

At St. Andrew’s Dog Park at Adelaide St. W. and Brandt St., dog owners were being asked to stop their pooches from barking.

“Attention: Due to the closeness of area residents, do not allow your dogs to bark and disturb the neighbourhood,” the sign read.”Excessive barking will not be tolerated. Please be a responsible dog owner and follow all posted off-leash area rules.”

Understandably, residents were confused about the signage and some even questioned its validity.

“Who else thinks that’s a non-official sign someone did a good job making?” questioned one Reddit user.

“This is definitely not official and a resident had it made up. There’s no rule about dog barking. In fact, the city asks that you keep HUMAN NOISE at reasonable levels https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/animals-pets/pets-in-the-city/dog-off-leash-areas/ Not to mention the janky rings on the corners that were obviously pushed through by hand,” wrote another user.

Others were quick to point out the St. Andrew’s Dog Park was known to have a noise issue.

“I knew it was St Andrew’s before reading the article. I’m a dog owner and completely understand dogs bark in play, however there are some owners who spend the entire park visit looking at their phones while their poor pup is barking non-stop trying to get their attention,” the user wrote.”Imagine trying to sleep in on the weekends and someone’s dog is excessively barking at 7am?”

Turns out, the  City signage has now been removed.

“The sign at the off-leash area does not met City standards and has been removed,” said a representative from the City in an email. “Although the sign was placed at this location with the intention of helping users of the off-leash area and neighbouring residents coexist harmoniously, we recognize that the information did not meet the mark.”

The email from the City went on to say that they “would be renewing its sign approval process to ensure clear communication in future signs.”

The email concludes that “While barking is expected at off-leash areas, excessive barking can be disruptive to neighbours”

More information about dog off-leash areas is available on the City’s website.