In this file photo from 2008, Topeka residents Stan and Carla Soper hold their two chihuahua dogs Millie, left, and Cassie while shopping for fresh lettuce at the Downtown Lawrence Farmers Market.

If you are visiting the Downtown Lawrence Farmers’ Market with your dog this Saturday, be aware that you will be required to keep your curious canine on a short leash.

For years it’s been common for dogs to visit the market with their owners.

But as crowds seeking farm-fresh tomatoes, peaches and other goods have grown larger, the number of complaints about dogs has also increased, said Amanda Cook, chairman of the board that oversees the market.

Those complaints consist of dogs quarreling with each other and of dog owners failing to clean up their pets’ waste, among other things, Cook said.

Dogs have urinated on flowers and plants and table legs and put their snouts on tables holding produce and baked goods, she said.

In addition dogs with expandable leashes get tangled up with other dogs and with with strollers and wheelchairs.

“I think it is going to be good for all of us to start having the conversation and hopefully that will be helpful,” Cook said.

The new signs that will be posted at the market state: “This market serves, sells and displays fresh food. If your pet is visiting with you today, please be aware of your pet, and help us maintain a safe and sanitary market.”

The Lawrence market is a nonprofit business that is owned by the almost 90 vendors who sell their products there on Saturday mornings, Cook said. It’s one of the few markets that require the vendors to produce their food locally.

Most markets prohibit dogs, but there has been a reluctance by the Lawrence market vendors to ban them because they are popular, Cook said.

A few years ago, when there was a spike in complaints, a survey found that about one-third of people wanted the dogs at the market, one-third did not, and another third didn’t care.

The nonprofit board agreed to let them stay, Cook said.

But Saturday, a visit from a state inspector, Jill King, raised concerns that by allowing dogs around the produce the market might be in violation of food inspection laws, Cook said.

The inspector, who is with the Kansas Department of Agriculture, told one of the market managers that the law may prohibit dogs from markets and gave a verbal warning, Cook said.

On Wednesday, however, Beth Gaines, spokeswoman for the agriculture department, said that dogs remain welcome at the market.

Gaines said the inspector had not done an inspection but was making normal rounds and offered a reminder that dogs should not be in an area where food is being prepared.

“It was not a warning,” Gaines said. “It was a matter of ongoing education.”

Still, Cook said because of safety concerns, she will post a sign asking customers to keep dogs on a short, nonexpandable leash, under control and at the owner’s side at all times.

The sign also says dogs should be kept away from produce, plants and other food products and people should be prepared to clean up after their dogs.

“While most other markets ban dogs, the Lawrence Farmers’ Market’s board has opted instead to adopt a policy that seeks to accommodate all community members, including those who support dogs at the market and those who do not,” the sign says.