by Claudia Kawczynska
Reprinted courtesy of The Bark
Off-leash areas are becoming de rigueur in cities across the United States. If your local officials haven't accepted the inevitable yet, they soon will, because any day now you will be petitioning them for your fair use of parkland.
We long ago progressed from the time when the prevailing thought was that keeping dogs in backyards was sufficient for their well-being, with a walk around the block for a daily constitutional. The health and fitness craze of the last couple of decades has had an impact on how we view not only our need for physical exercise but that of our doggy companions as well.
People are moving back into dense inner cities in record numbers, so even the backyard has become a luxury available to the lucky few. So when people now look a round for places to frolic and play fetch with their dogs, they find that a modern-day land grab is on. Much of the available parkland is being occupied by other recreational activities—baseball and soccer fields, tennis courts, golf courses and swingsets. But where is the space and the public willingness to share some of this public resource with us?
Rules and Then Some
Many of us might cringe at the thought that going to a park with our dogs needs to be governed by a set of regulations. But clearly defined and easily understood rules are helpful not only to assuage public safety concerns--and get your project off the ground, but also to make the supervision, through peer pressure, of your off-leash area (OLA) easier for you.
Most agree that it is important to make the rules as simple and straightforward as possible. At the minimum, they should be clearly posted on signs at the park's entrances, but it is a good idea to also have them available on handouts such as brochures and small cards, as well as on bulletin boards. Offering a few words of explanation might help to ensure the enforceability of some rules that might not be so self-evident--this is easier to do via handouts.
For example, take the maintenance problem that is faced by all OLAs: dogs digging holes. Simply posting "No Digging Allowed" probably won't do the trick. Some think it is "natural" for dogs to engage in this activity. Some (we have actually heard) even consider this fitting exercise for their dogs--until they, or their dogs, fall in one of these doggy-excavations and sprain an ankle!
A few words explaining why this activity isn't allowable in the park-that your group takes pride as park stakeholders and one should no more let a dog dig on this hallowed turf than in your neighbor's flowerbed--should help. You might want to compensate for the curbing of this activity by providing a special digging zone within your OLA. You could also give consideration to organizing hole-filling parties, with your park department coming up with the "dirt" and your group chipping in sweat equity. SFDOG does this regularly at many of San Francisco's parks. It's great public relations for the cause and a good community-builder, too.
Ways and Means
Another rule that might need greater clarification involves possible close encounters with wildlife. This topic can be quite volatile and suffer from oversimplification. So whenever possible, it is best to stem this nascent conflict with a well-articulated public education campaign.
Many sites suitable for your OLAs can also be home to a wide variety of wildlife species. Depending on the level of public awareness and the degree of environmental sensitivity of the habitats, a sign simply saying "Do Not Interfere with Wildlife" might not suffice. It is important to promote a dialogue and pay close attention to the way such an "educational" message is delivered.
You, or a park ranger, taking the time to explain the finer points of wildlife management will be more convincing than employing confrontational techniques. Few people might know that birds are actually feeding from tidal mudflats and wetland areas and are vulnerable to "curious" dogs. It is important not only to the birds themselves, but to the future success of our projects, to explain that anything interfering with such activities as feeding cannot be tolerated. Signs, hand-outs and verbal explanations should all be employed. And hey, this gives you an opportunity to practice those recall skills that you've been working on, right?
General Rules
The consensus is that the general rules should include some of the following:
- Dog feces must be cleaned up.
- Dogs must be leashed to and from the OLA.
- Dogs need to be under voice control.
- Dogs showing signs of aggression must be leashed; or Dogs showing signs of aggression must be removed from the park.
- People should carry a leash at all times.
- Dogs must be licensed.
- Dogs should not interfere with wildlife.
- Holes dug by dogs must be filled.
- Barking must be minimized.
Some parks have also added these rules:
- Dogs must be within sight of their owners.
- Female dogs in heat are prohibited.
- Limit 3 (or 4) dogs per person.
- Young children must be closely supervised.
- Puppies under 4 months old are prohibited.
- Dogs must be spayed or neutered.
- Owners will assume responsibility for their dogs and their actions.
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