Dog Parks in DC

Dog Park, Adams Morgan
Originally uploaded by IntangibleArts

I am in favor of dog parks because they are one way to bring people out into our public spaces and insert positive behavior in areas that too often serve as negative space or vacuums for disorder. When you have eyes on and in the street, "policed" by the public, it's much harder for problems to fester or go unacknowledged. The dog parks I've seen in Canton, Baltimore, and Washington Square Park in Manhattan, NYC, function quite well.

Note that Jonetta Rose Barras, a columnist for the Examiner, wrote something pretty stupid about this topic last week: "Parks in the District are going to the dogs."

It's all about making great places and livable communities. (I do not have pets.)
-----------
From William Schultheiss (ANC6A):

We finally have GOOD NEWS about getting LEGAL, FENCED-IN DOG PARKS in DC!! We are reaching the finish line. We really need YOUR HELP and your deadline is November 2, 2007.

Clark Ray, the new Director of Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) has new Proposed Dog Park Regulations that you can read.

These regulations are fair, reasonable, and strike a balance between flexibility and accountability. They have eliminated the onerous restrictions that were previously proposed.

We need to get these new regulations approved, without modification.

We need you, your friends, family, co-workers, vets, pet owning businesses, and anyone else you know who supports the new regulations, without modification, to have their voices heard.

Each adult in a household may participate by choosing only one of the following 3 options and only DC Residents should participate:

1) Sign our new online petition

**In order to make your signature valid, you must complete all required fields-name, email, and zip code. You do have the option to keep your email address private to the public. The additional optional fields will be helpful for data gathering. (This is a free hosting service, so you may see ads on a variety of things. These have nothing to do with our cause); or

2) Email DC DPR Director Clark Ray; or

3) Write Clark Ray: DC DPR, 3149 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20010

The newly revised regulations came about because there was a huge outcry against the previously published onerous regulations. Your voice does make a difference. We had over 2400 signatures on an online petition as well as additional emails and letters.

Please take this call to action seriously because you can make a difference by supporting the new regulations, without modification. You will not be asked to attend any public meetings, only to respond by using one of the options, above.

If you write a letter, please be sure to sign it. As you know there are numerous individuals and established groups that are very much against dog parks-either in the city, as a whole, or not in their back yard. These groups will definitely be writing in and letting Mr. Ray know how unhappy they are about the new regulations.

If anti dog park emails/letters outnumber our responses in favor of the regulations, we can see a major set back for the possibility of dog parks in the foreseeable future.

PLEASE send this email and petition link to all supportive friends, business, listserves, veterinary practices, etc, who are (or whose clients) are DC residents. Each adult in same household may sign separately. Only DC residents should participate in the public comment options.

DCDOG's Dog Park Task Force thanks you for your continued support and efforts.

(Image by Intangible Arts.)