DCDogVoter.com

We have over 90 signatures on our online petition. Thank you, everyone who signed!

If you have not signed yet, please include your address, or at least enough of an address to let the powers-that-be know you live nearby.

We are putting together a proposal for a dog park in the park located at 14th & Arkansas. The Friends of 16th Street Heights Parks folks have graciously agreed to act as the sponsoring organization. Their willingness to sponsor the park adds a great deal of weight to our proposal, and we hope that we will return that favor by bringing more support to their efforts on behalf of the parks.

The city has finally established reasonable rules for dog parks. They have allocated money for parks and accepted the first proposals. And they have made it clear that as parks become available, they will be enforcing off-leash laws more stringently outside of dog parks.

Now it’s time to bring this puppy home, so to speak. Please sign our petition. Also, please let us know if you are willing to help us through the application process.

Well, looks like we found one answer from T.A. Uqdah, former candidate for the Ward 4 Council.

Even though he was promoting the use of dog parks and putting dogs and kids in the same level in his campaign for dealing with gentrification, his last email to the Petworth Dogs listserve shows a clear position against dogs.

His hate against dogs is based on childish and outdated views more than real reasons. His words clearly indicate that he is a fanatic and had some bad encounters with dogs back in the 60’s and his early years.

He generalized about dog owners, not realizing that people that take dogs to parks are responsible owners.

He concluded that ‘dog people, canine lovers are annoying and fanatical’.

He continued to say:

‘they are annoying in the sense that they view themselves and their canines as a protected class. They are fanatical in the sense that they think anyone who opposes them is a hostile enemy to them and are annoyed at those of us who don’t understand their fanaticism’.

‘I can’t understand for the life of me, why anyone would move into a land / space challenged urban setting like Washington, DC and expect to have dog parks established for their animals? I want a horse, but you don’t see me asking for a horse park to run them, do you? So where does this sense of entitlement come from?’

I personally do not think about him as an enemy. This not a war. We are civilized people and we should talk and try to solve our differences in a civilized manner and not, do like he did. He came and exposed his hatred for dogs and walked away. He did not try to talk to us nor to understand why dog parks are necessary. They are good for the dogs (dogs that are not socialized in parks are the ones that escape and bite people). They help people to meet other neighbors (that is how I met most of my neighbors).

He was a candidate for the Ward 4 Council. He should know that if he has a horse he has a place to take the horse to be exercised within walking distance from his house.

He says that DC is a space-challenged urban setting, but DC has plenty of unused green areas. NYC does not, but they have 100+ parks.

He explains his hate against dogs towards the end of his email, where he says:

‘… I have trouble reconciling owning an animal that in my genetic experience was used to hunt and track me down for my continued enslavement or lynching, not to mention these were the same mangy animals used by law enforcement and other southern crackers to intimidate, bite and in some instances maim or kill human beings fighting for their civil rights; and I’m expected to embrace offering them a dog park?’

I think that he is confused and living in the past, he should realize that he is in DC in the year 2007. We live in a very diverse city, where no one should try to take any rights from anybody.

Called DPR lately to check on the status of the park?

First they were closing down the park for “maintenance” and “cleaning.” Then we heard they would tear down the fence (and have an open field?)… or fix the swing set and use it as a playground. The latest idea? Use the fenced-in area as a soccer field for little kids. At every turn DPR has a new story for how they plan to use the vacant, fenced-in park space at Allison and Arkansas Ave. NW. Never mind that dog owners used the space for over a year with the knowledge and (at least implied) consent of DPR.

And now we are all locked out (dogs, dog owners, two-foot soccer players) while the park stands vacant and padlocked shut.

Why not re-open the park to dogs and their owners while DPR debates internally the future of the space?

According to DPR, DC 8-1808 disallows us from using the space without an easement by the DC City Council. (This seems to be because we are barred from having dogs off-leash in any public space other than an official dog park—and without the regulations we can’t establish an official dog park.)

But as Cleo has noted, illegal activity in other parts of the Upshur park hasn’t caused DPR to shut the whole park down. Walk your dog through the park and she’ll find drug paraphenalia, glass shards from liquor and beer bottles, condom wrappers, etc.–not to mention witnessing some of the activity. Clearly, there’s a double-standard.

Let’s be clear. We’re glad the city is moving forward to establish dog parks and regulations to go along with them. But how about some tolerance for those demonstrating responsible dog-ownership NOW? Here’s an unused space, next to a dumpster, out of the way of residences and businesses–and a proven meeting ground for dogs and their people. (Responsible people, by the way. While we’ve heard tales of dog owners leaving ballparks without cleaning up after their animals, here’s a park that was used exclusively for dogs–and clean to boot.)

The DC City Council has the power to grant us an easement. Join me in sending this message: Open the Allison/Arkansas park to dog owners until a neighborhood dog park has been established.

Write to Councilwoman Bowser now. Ask her to support dog parks in Ward 4 and an easement re-granting access to the Allison/Arkansas park. template_letter_to_bowser2.doc

Sign the Arkansas & Allison petition.

Dear Mayor Fenty:

I am writing to urge you to show your support for responsible, tax-paying dog owners in Ward 4. My neighbors and I are outraged that the Department of Parks and Recreation has prioritized keeping dogs OUT of parks, rather than helping us get them in.

In recent messages to the community, DPR has stated that the city is making it a priority to arrest dog owners for taking their dogs off-leash or taking their dogs to athletic fields, community parks, playgrounds, etc. Where are we to go? Why is the city diverting police resources away from fighting the more serious crimes that plague our community?

Dogs that get the exercise and socialization they need make better neighbors. As a responsible dog owner, I regularly take my dogs on leashed walks and allow them time to play in my yard. However, that’s no substitute for playtime with their canine companions in a space large enough for them to run.

For the past year or so, a number of dog owners have used the fenced park space at Allison St. and Arkansas Ave. NW . This park was formerly a playground used by the neighboring school. We began using the abandoned park with the knowledge of the local park manager. We picked up after our dogs (and each other’s dogs), fixed the hasp on the gate, and got to know each other while our dogs got their exercise. This dog park helped build community in Ward 4.

About two months ago, DPR closed the park and communicated to us they plan to demolish it and remove the fence, making it unusable by anyone. Apparently, DPR received a report that the dogs were causing a disturbance. It’s worth noting that this park is ideally located in that there are few homes facing it and none directly next to it. If it is unacceptable, where can we go? I challenge DPR to find us a better spot that meets their specifications.

I’m an active, voting, tax-paying community member. I want dog parks in my community and I’m asking for your help. Please restore access to the park at Allison St. and Arkansas Ave. NW and call on DPR to make access to dog parks in all wards of the city a priority. I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

DC Dog Voter

Well, it’s the law. That is what Jesse Round says in his last email to me.

Apparently ‘…a counter-response to dog-owners need for dog exercise areas has arisen.” So DPR had to close the fenced area since they could not control the use there. He said ‘It’s use as an off-leash dog area was popular with the community but was illegal under DC law….Until these regulations are complete we must continue to regulate and remove the temptation to undermine DC law.’

The bottom line is that they are being selective on which laws to enforce. Since they believe we are a small group, with little or not impact on them, it is easy to tilt the scale to the other side.

If they will follow and apply Mr Rounds reasoning 100%, we will have nearly no parks open. I believe that to trash, use drugs and alcohol as well as sex in public areas is illegal. Currently DPR can not control this use and abuse in the Upshur Park. I walk every day in that park and I always find trash, broken glass, empty liquor and beer bottles as well as condom packages.

.

So, this is just one more excuse to not allow us to use this park. It is an abandon area not in use by any other group, no reason not to allow us to use it until rules are defined.

Unless we all start letting DPR and the Mayor know we exist, our concerns and needs will be left at the end of the bin. Please use the link to the right and let the DPR director and Mayor Fenty know we exist.

Just got off the phone with Jesse Rounds from DPR.   DPR is currently working on the second round of community input with community groups.  Once they have heard from these task forces, they may or may not change any of the proposal regulations.  The legislation then goes to the Attorney General for signing.  If all runs smoothly, the rules could be in place by the fall.  Currently the city does not have specific sites in mind, rather the city will rely on communities to come forward with proposed sites, signed letters of support from community members and ANC support.  If a park does not fit the exact regulations and there is a compelling reason for the park, DPR will consider the park but this would be a rare occurance.   The partnership for the park would not be totally responsible for maintaining the park.  The city is looking at dog parks as not specific to neighborhoods but rather “city wide communities.”  DPR feels that people already think they are against dog parks but they are taking a careful and considered approach because they “want the parks to work.”  DPR is enforcing the off-leash laws because as a result of the hearings they are getting more complaints about dogs in parks.  They may or may not tear down the park at Allison and Arkansas and there will be public input on the future of this park. 

ACTION:  I think we should put together a plan to start gathering community support and also start locating a space that could work.

http://dpr.dc.gov/dpr/cwp/view,a,1239,q,637521,dprNav,|32112|.asp