DCDogVoter.com

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.

Please register your dog. It doesn’t cost much ($13 for spayed or neutered dogs, $46 otherwise) and it’s easy: you can do it by mail.

Here’s what you need in order to register:

Application/Processing Requirements:
Please read and follow the instructions below carefully. A correctly completed application will expedite the issuance of your dog license.

• Please complete your application with current information.
• Proof of rabies and distemper vaccinations is required.
• Proof of sterilization (spaying or neutering) is required.
• Each dog over four months old must have his/her own license.
• Owners with five or more dogs over four months old must apply for a hobby license.

By Mail Please forward the required information and a check or money order made out to DC Treasurer to the address above.

Department of Health
Division of Animal Disease Prevention
51 N Street, NE
6th Floor
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 535-2323
(202) 535-2325

Why should you register? Well, we’re trying to convince the city to establish commonsense-based laws to allow law-abiding citizens who own dogs the opportunities already afforded to, say, law-abiding soccer players. So let’s abide by the law and make sure our dogs are registered.

Personally, I would pay double the current fees if the city would take the money and use it to establish and maintain dog parks.

Please take the time to sign this petition.

To:  DC Department of Parks and Recreation

We, the undersigned, as concerned tax-paying DC residents—dog owners and non-dog owners—want a reasonable set of rules to allow for the establishment of Dog Exercise Areas (DEAs) in our neighborhoods. The Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) has developed proposed regulations that will preclude the development of DEAs in most neighborhoods throughout the District.

We do not believe that dogs are more important than people, but we do believe that dog owners are equal to other park patrons and should be treated equitably. We believe that the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) and its partner agencies must provide the same privileges, status, and rights to proponents of DEAs as they do to other park patrons (e.g., playgrounds, tennis courts, athletic fields, swimming pools, and community gardens). We believe that DPR should apply equitable rules and standards to all park patrons and that dog owners and DEAs should not be held to a higher standard for park use.

Are other park patrons:

· Restricted to a minimum or maximum square footage—e.g.10, 000 sq.
feet– no more than 25\% of total park, and no steeper than 5\% slope?

· Required to provide contact information for use of park; and are
they required to obtain such information on all residents within a
specified block radius?

· Required to certify a rat-free zone within a 5-block radius?

· Required to be separated by 200 feet from all other park
patrons, businesses, and residential housing?

· Required to be within 50 feet from water source and sewage lines?

· Required to obtain consent of the community to establish their form
of recreation?

· Required to be sponsored by a 501 (c) 3 group to establish desired
recreation facility?

· Required to pay for the desired facility?

We formally request that the regulations be rewritten to facilitate the development of DEAs throughout the city and in accordance with the intent and the spirit of the law passed by DC Council in November 2005. We request that revised regulations incorporate suggestions made in DCDOG’s Comprehensive Response that reflect common practices in other urban areas nationwide.

We also request that representatives from DCDOG, animal organizations (e.g. Washington Humane Society and WARL), veterinarians, and other interested stakeholders be involved in a task force to assist with the process of analyzing public comments and working on revised regulations–facilitating a negotiated rulemaking process

Because the current regulations need major revisions, we believe DPR should offer the public another opportunity to comment on the revised proposed regulations before they are published in their final form. We believe the revised proposed regulations should be published for public comment no later than September 1, 2007 with an effective date no later than December 31, 2007.

Kathy Silva on behalf of DCDOG: a community action group working for the development of legal, fenced-in, OFF LEASH, dog exercise areas in DC.

Anyone catch last week’s DC Politics Hour with Kojo and Jonetta? http://www.wamu.org/audio/kn/07/07/k1070706 (Scroll to about 42:24.)

 It featured a segment on dog parks that lasted all of eight and a half minutes, during which Jonetta complained about the “secret taskforce” meetings [to review and comment on DPR's draft dog park regulations] that “advantage dog owners and professional dog walkers.”  Let’s hope that’s true, folks. 

I can agree with Jonetta on one point: she hasn’t heard what’s going on with the taskforce and neither have I.  It’s a problem that more information hasn’t come out about the taskforce.  But I digress. 

Apparently, we dog owners are “extremely well-organized” (as a professional organizer I’m thrilled by this) and “very intimidating” and those opposed to dog parks are afraid to make their views known.  Jonetta noted that her friends are concerned that “we now have to have cow parks and pig parks” and next it’ll be, gasp, cat parks!  Kojo piped in, “Alligators have no place whatsoever!” (roll over, Kojo, why don’t you.) to which Jonetta replied, “Exactly. See, we can go from one extreme to the next on this.”  So dog parks are “extreme?”   

The dogs did have one advocate on the show.  Here’s a bone for Bill on Capitol Hill, a member of the “secret taskforce” Jonetta fears.  He was given a scant few seconds to comment during which he dropped this bomb: “Parks and Rec staff, themselves, admitted they’re opposed to the concept of dog parks in the city!”  When he noted that he and other dog owners had lobbied for dog parks (effectively, I might add; the City Council did, after all, enact legislation calling for their creation), Jonetta snickered. 

Offering the last words on the topic, Jonetta said, “Dog parks aren’t cheap, Kojo.” 

Cheap? Perhaps not.  Valuable way to build community? Absolutely.  And here’s one dog voter who’d like her tax dollars spent on dog parks.   

By the way, check out (and sign!) this petition:

http://www.petitiononline.com/DCDOG/petition.html