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Leash Nazis, JPCA, Want Dogs to Lose Park Priviliges

Dear Dog Lovers: That's Benny Bix Ochman Labradoodle puppy in Carl Shurz Park, where leash Nazis never allow dogs to run off-leash. That's why we get up at the crack of dawn and head to Central Park, where, before 9, dogs, hundreds of them, gleefully run free. Whether its 2 below or 102, raining, snowing, sleeting or hailing, we dog people are in the park so our pups can have their exercise.

For many years, there has been an unwritten rule in Central Park that dogs can be off-leash before 9 am and after 9 pm. Now some crazies called the Juniper Park Civic Association have brought a lawsuit against the Parks Department to end this privilige for dogs and their people.

The Urbanhound newsletter says "We don't think this lawsuit stands a chance (already, a judge has said it lacks reason). " But the leash Nazis won when they sued to keep dogs on leash in Riverside Park and now no dogs run free there.

Urbanhound makes a petition and links to all pertinent city officials available, and encourages dog lovers to take action.

The leash Nazis make dogs sound like terrorists. But in all the years I have been a dog owner, I have seen only one of two fights between dogs in the park. There are constant fights in dog runs. It is the difference between caged and free run. I want my boy to run and jump and wrestle with his dog buddies. So do millions of other dog owner/voters who oppose the leash Nazis.

Dog runs are dirty. They have no running water. There is not enough room for dogs to run in any of them, with the possible exception of Tomkins Square Park Dog Run. The surface of the dog run in Carl Shurz Park is pebbles. They get into Benny's paws, and cut his feet. There is no way to clean the run because it is dirt under the pebbles, so giardia and other diseases thrive there and every time I have taken Benny there he has gotten sick.

My message to Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe and Mayor Bloomberg reminded them that there are millions of dog owners in New York and we VOTE. In Tribeca, thanks to one loony tune man who sits on his terrace taking pictures of dogs peeing in the street as evidence of their menance. there are parts of Battery Park City where a dog is not allowed to walk on the sidewalk.

Dog owners of New York, get off your duff before it's too late. Fight the leash Nazis.

And if you just love dogs, please write to the officials and tell them to let dogs be dogs. Please.
Love,
B.L. and Benny Bix Ochman Labradoodle

Categories: B.L. Ochman, Benny Bix, Commentary

BL Ochman | May 23 06 3:39 | TrackBack (0)

Comments

The answer is dog parks, I go to one and my collie loves it
http://www.arlingtondogs.org/parks_banneker.shtml

Posted by: Alice Mashall at May 23, 2006 4:46 PM

As any dog owner knows, dogs are MORE aggressive when on a leash. They feel protective of their owners and are reminded that they are restrained and feel a little more threatened. When they are allowed to run free to romp and play, they do so with 'fun' on their mind, not 'aggression/protection'.

The people who let their dogs run free, I would hazard to guess from your account, know that their dogs are social doggies. If they weren't, as responsible owners, they wouldn't let them run free either. It's just common sense.

New York - let the doggies have the early morning and later evening to run free and get some important exercise!

Posted by: Donna Tocci at May 24, 2006 10:13 AM

The dog runs in New York are disgusting. None has a grass surface, few have running water. Several have wood chips or pebbles, which are impossible to clean.

Most are too small to accomodate all the dogs needing a place to romp.

In Tribeca, we worked with the city to get half a schoolyard. A concrete surface is actually best because you can wash it, and with hundreds of dogs, you absolutely need to do that. If not, you get giardia, and all kinds of viruses going round and round.

Because there're not enough room, there are always fights. As I said, neither of my dogs has ever been in a fight in Central or Prospect Park. Benny has been menaced by the dogs of clueless owners in dog runs. It's simply unsafe, smelly, and unhealthy for New York dogs in dog runs. They need to be able to be off-leash in parks.

When the dogs run free before 9 there are very few other people around, particularly on weekdays. or in winter. It's not like thousands of people are waiting for our dogs to leave. And there are thousands of acres and paths people can use before 9 when the dogs have their one time of freedom.

I'll never give my vote to a candidate who doesn't have a good policy on pets, and neither will New York's millions of other dog owners.

Posted by: B.L. Ochman at May 24, 2006 12:34 PM

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About BL Ochman

Blogger, social media strategy consultant to Fortune 500 companies, and sought-after corporate speaker B.L. Ochman heads the creative team of whatsnextonline.com. She also publishes the Ethics Crisis blog for SRF Global Translations

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