DCDogVoter.com

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

Seems like Montgomery County understands that dog parks are a win-win situation for all animals involved.  Note the positive approach to dog parks that the County takes.  Also from the Montgomery County Dog Park Site:

Why are Dog Parks needed?

Dogs need sufficient exercise to maintain their physical health and to learn appropriate behavior when socializing with humans or other dogs. They also need regular outings to reduce boredom, release pent-up energy at home, and decrease aggressive behavior.Owning a dog encourages people to exercise and visit their local park.  More than most other park facilities, Dog Parks have been places where neighbors and other local residents regularly meet and greet, often forming the beginning of longer-lasting community ties.Dogs and their owners have been affected first by planning for communities and public open space and then by its management. As more people live in compact types of housing surrounded by heavier traffic, greater demands are placed on public open space.  More intense user conflicts within existing parks, especially those in more urbanized areas, have often meant greater restrictions on domestic animals to public open space. Montgomery County has over 25,000 licensed dogs and many more who are unlicensed. 

In looking at metro area official dog parks, it’s not hard to notice that other municipalities have established legislation that provides flexibility in creating dog parks.  Please see such rules below governing Montgomery County.  My challenge to DC officials:  talk to Montgomery County officials and find out about best practices!

Managing Dog Parks within Montgomery County’s Park System: 

The Department of Parks will provide basic maintenance for these facilities. Development of these facilities will be supported by the Department of Parks’ Capital Improvement Program (CIP) with daily operation and maintenance support. Oversight of the dog parks will be the responsibility of the Department of Parks, park managers and the Park Police. 

The following criteria for choosing locations for Dog Parks within the public parkland system: 

At least acre in size; preferably more; perhaps an area large enough to develop two sections, allowing for use of one while maintaining the other; (smaller areas may be considered in urban areas of the county). 

Healthy soils with good drainage, some large shade trees or an open shelter; 

A site that is compatible with existing uses in that park; 

Safe distance from roadways; 

Accessible parking area with safe passageway between parking area and dog exercise area; 

A sufficient distance or a buffer from residential areas; 

A clean drinking water source for dogs (desirable but not mandatory);  

Easy accessibility for trash removal and other park maintenance tasks; 

If designed for neighborhood use, accessibility (within walking or short driving distance) to residential areas; 

A site that is not unduly environmentally sensitive, and that can accommodate a dog exercise area without excessive environmental damage. 

http://www.centrevilledogs.org/

http://www.restondogs.org/welcome.cfm

The above private dog groups have public partnerships with Fairfax County. I’ve emailed Centrevilledogs and Onedogatatatime to find out more about their dog park building experience. I did not see an email for Restondogs.

I believe the quick answer is NO.

DC wants to attract more people not only to work in the district, but to make the district their home. People with kids are moving to the suburbs because the schools are at the bottom of the rankings in the region, a lot of people with no kids have dogs. Should they move outside of the district in order to keep their dogs healthy?

A healthy dog needs exercise and to be socialized. These activities require an off leash area. In Ward 4 where I live there are plenty of green spaces. Within six blocks from my house there are three baseball diamonds that hardly get used.

In the last 3 years we have been completely locked out of four public parks (not even leashed dogs are allowed anymore).

All this time city officials have talked about off-leash dog parks in the district. The former Ward 4 council member, now mayor, promised to have off-leash dog parks in the district. In 2005 the DC Council approved the creation of Dog Parks, 2 years later we have none.

An initiative to amend Chapter 7 of the DC Municipal Regulations for the creation and maintenance of off-leash areas for dogs on District parkland resulted in a document that was oriented to assure the non-existence of dog parks in the city rather than for the creation of such areas. It is very upsetting that our tax money was used to discuss and write such a document, and that at that stage not all of the stakeholders were invited.

We are still waiting for a new document, and while we wait we start seeing some type of persecution against dog owners.A revision of the document will be issued, but apparently no public comment will be allowed. Is this how our democracy works?

The interim direct of DPR wrote in a recent memo:

“The Agency and the District’s residents will need your continued support, as we more aggressively enforce the District’s Off-leash laws and DPR “no dogs on playgrounds” and “no dogs on athletic fields” rules.”

We are witnessing this enforcement. People have been arrested and fined for having an off leashed dog. With the increasing crime in DC, should the city use these scarce resources to go after off-leashed puppies? The area we used to use in the corner of
Arkansas and Allison was closed and the fence is scheduled to be taken down, another waste of our taxes. The unofficial dog parks that we used until Ms Durden decided to use city resources to ‘more aggressively enforce the District’s Off-leash laws’ not only helped to keep our dogs healthy, but also to meet and socialize with our neighbors.

Same as church parking, where illegal parking is tolerated

until a solution to the problem can be found, until new rules and parks are established we should be able to keep using these parks, and we should be notified if a park is scheduled to close.

DPR should not take these type of actions without consulting the public. At least a public hearing should take place.

If I complain about the trash and drinking that goes on at the soccer field on Upshur and 14st NW, will DPR close the field? If that is the case we will be left without parks.

I will like my taxes to be used towards improving the city. Ms Durden should focus on cleaning and fixing the parks (pictures of park attached) and more aggressively enforce the District’s alcohol, drug and loitering laws. Broken glass can be very dangerous, and trash attracts rats, happy playing dogs do not harm anybody.

Welcome to DCDogVoter.com. We are a community of tax-paying citizens of Washington, DC who wish to see our city become a dog-friendly place to live. At present, there are only a few sanctioned and/or tolerated places where residents can exercise their dogs off-leash.

The city council decision to establish dog parks seemed like a good step, but the rules the dog park committee drafted were retributive and prohibitive. As the citizens of DC questioned those rules, the city began to crack down on dog owners. In one case, they arrested and criminally charged one dog owner for having his brown Lab off-leash. In another, they closed a fenced-in area of a park which was only used by dog owners. They did this without notice and eventually, after much pressure, wrote the following note explaining the closure:

Dear Mr. ___,

The department received several phone calls from the citizens who reside at Allison and Arkansas, that contrary to the regulations, dog walkers were using the playground there as a de facto dog park – creating among other things, a disturbance. This playground was once used by the Sharpe school, but seems to have gone into disuse when they erected their own on the hill. DPR policy 2.103 clearly states that no dogs are allowed on or near playgrounds, athletic fields, picnic areas or community gardens – with or without a leash. Dog owners, and especially dog-walkers have been flouting these rules for years and creating unauthorized d og-parks throughout the city. The current debate regarding the creation of legal dog-parks seems to have drawn the attention of citizens who have hitherto been silent regarding this flouting of the rules, and like you they too have been in touch with the Mayor’s office, their respective Council members and their ANC’s. As you may know, the criteria for the creation of dog parks are currently under review with input from community groups from every Ward, the Council, DOH, MPD, etc. Until this is finalized and a decision is taken as to where dog parks will be situated, DPR will follow the current rules. As such this defunct playground at Allison and Arkansas has been contracted out to be demolished and fence removed in the next few weeks.

Thank you for your interest in the DC Department of Parks and Recreation.

Sincerely,
Evelyn Woods
Customer Service Manager

At present, dog owners have few options in DC. We can risk criminal charges or, worse, having our dogs shot. We can visit the overrun, semi-official park in Adams Morgan, or we can pay for the right to use Congressional Park Cemetery. Or we can contend with soccer and baseball players for the use of their fields. None of these is acceptable. We are citizens of the District. We pay taxes and we deserve service and respect from our government.

We are working toward the establishment of reasonable rules and guidelines for the establishment of dog parks in DC. We are also working to establish a citywide policy of tolerance until such rules are in place and official dog parks are fully established and functioning. We will use this space to organize and to share information towards these goals.