This is a post about a group of leash reactionaries in Queens who want to end ALL off-leash privileges for ALL dogs in New York City. They want no dog runs, no dogs running free in any park. They basically want no dogs. And they are suing the city to make that a reality. Don’t laugh. They’ve already won one lawsuit. As the Queens Times Ledger (registration required) said in an editorial about the President of the group bringing the suit: “Bob [Holden] makes the Grinch look warm and fuzzy.” Bloggers: please help me spread the word.
I’m gonna break my 300-word blog post rule and rant about an issue that effects me and at least a million other New York City voters – dog laws. You can stop reading right now if you hate dogs. Oh, and if you do hate dogs, please don’t come back.
Estimates of the New York City dog population vary widely, but one million is a good guess, according to the New York Times. Every day, me and approximately 6,000 to 10,000 other dog owners take their dogs to Central Park so they can run off-leash with other dogs. It’s not a law, exactly, but a more than 20-year tradition begun by then Parks Commissioner Henry Stern.
So, before 9 a.m. and after 9 p.m., you can see all makes and models of dogs frolicking merrily through many areas of the Central Park. Now, a group in Queens is bringing suit against the City to end ALL off-leash privileges in ALL parks, 24/7, even though during those hours the presence of dogs and their owners makes the park safer for runners and others who want to use it.
The Central Park PAWS website says:
“The situation is this: As a result of conflict between dog owners and other park users in a small Queens park–Juniper Park in Middle Village, Queens–the Juniper Park Civic Association has filed a lawsuit against the city. They are challenging the right of Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe to grant off-leash privileges in ANY city park. While Commissioner Benepe and the Parks Department have expressed their continued support of the off-leash privileges they grant us, the lawsuit could force them to suspend those privileges.”
Says an attorney who asked not to be named, “Tradition is a powerful precedent. It sounds like this group is just trying to make noise for some other purpose.”
Indeed, I’ve learned that Bob Holden has been nominated for a seat on the local community board, and it is rumored that he has larger political aspirations. The publicity, he apparently thinks, serves his ambitions well.
Susan Buckley, president of Centrals Park PAWS, advisory group to the Central Park Conservancy, says that the Parks Commissioner needs the discretion to work with each park to make policy for that park.
“The most important aspect is that the park system if NYC is fabulous and unbelievably varied. To try and make the same rule for Central Park which is 843 acres, Juniper Park which is 20 acres, Washington Square Park, which is probably one acre, makes no sense.
Each park has its own needs. Off-leash works in Central Park and Prospect Park. That doesn’t mean it works in every park; it could work or not depending on how responsible the dog owners are and how much they educated themselves and others.”
Even the president of the newly formed Juniper Park Dog Group, Terri Sullivan, says that the answer for Juniper Park is probably a dog run. But the Civic Association says “No!” to a dog run. “I think Bob Holden just hates dogs,” Sullivan says.
The Ledger says “Holden is on a crusade against the city’s dogs and their owners.” The paper maintains that this is an issue for voters, not the courts, and I agree.
“Since this is a democracy,” they say, “let the people decide. …We’re guessing the anti-dog contingent will find themselves a small, albeit noisy, minority.” You got that right, sir.
Having dogs in Central Park is good for the park. Our presence makes the parks safer by bringing people into the park at off hours. Says Buckley, “
For off-leash to work, you have to have responsible dog owners who understand that not every dog can be let off leash. If you have an aggressive dog, it should not be off leash in the park with other dogs. There is no question about that. We can’t only focus on how good it is for the dogs.”
Says holistic veterinarian Dr Jill Elliot of New York City, Co-author with pet-care specialist Kim Bloomer, of Whole Health for Happy Dogs: A natural health handbook for dogs and their owners, says
“Dogs are social, pack animals, They need healthy dog-to-dog interaction. This alone makes them more sociable in general and less likely to get into fights with other dogs who do not have a lot of exposure to lots of dogs.
In New York City one of the best ways for this to occur is in the dog runs and other designated areas for dogs to be off leash and interact with supervision. Most healthy dogs have boundless energy. Leash walks just don’t cut it when it comes to getting enough exercise.”
It’s also a great way for dog owners to interact, and many friendships, business deals and even marriages are forged while the dogs are playing.
Holden, who owns a dog, told one reporter that he was attacked by a dog in Juniper Park. Interestingly, there is no police report to support the claim. “I don’t want to call bob a liar, but I’d really like to see that police report,” says Sullivan.
One thing you can count on, dog owners are voters and they are clearly passionate about their dogs. Every political candidate should remember that there’s a voter on one end of every leash.
New York Magazine article
NY 1 News
It’s not a matter of hating dogs at all. What other mammal including humans would we tollerate defecating & urinating in public? Here is a link that highlights the environmental & health problems associated with dogs. http://www.poopbutler.com/pooper-scooper-health.htm These are “facts” and are indisputable. I have dog owners who don’t think twice about allowing their dogs to defficate or piss on my lawn. Even if they do pick up after their dog there is “harmful” bacteria that remains for weeks which in Vancouver where it rains alot gets filtered down in to our water tables. I do not allow the kids to play on the grass for that reason. When I try and explain those concerns to the neighborhood dog owners they just sneer at me, so I ask them to go roll around the grass where their dog just took a dump…they never do and I “wonder why.”
Us non dog owners have to be equally vigilant about not having our rights trampled on. Like the right to walk on our property or a tax payer funded park without worrying about stepping in dog shit.
the single greatest source of ground water pollution are the fertilizers used on lawns by homeowners who want lush green lawns.
the solution is a workable compromise where all parties are respected.
it is not true that dog waste is a source of pollution. no reliale study supports those “facts.”
i agree with you that no one should allow their dog to go onto another person’s private property. that is a matter of respect.
BL
To say “These are “facts” and are indisputable” makes you sound like Bill O’Reilly on Fox (Faux) News… Not to be offensive but your entire premise is false. To the best of my knowledge, humans are the only animal/mammal/crustasians that have private bathrooms with plumbing. All others do relieve themselves outside or relatively openly within their confines.
That said, your neighbors should respect your lawn by keeping their dogs away.
It is obvious you do not like dogs. That is your choice. However those of us who own dogs know that proper socialization and exercise makes their lives better as well as providing us humans with beloved companionship. And those who have companion animals or have been saved by rescue dogs will forever be grateful that dogs are part of our lives.
As a New York City resident and community activist, I have witnessed dogs and their owners reviving desolate parks, building communities of neighbors (not strangers), and treating others with respect by picking-up after their dogs and properly training them.
Actually, not to sound like a conspiracy-monger, but the neighborhood of Middle Village is increasingly becoming populated by the Satmar and Lebovitch sect of Hasidic Judaism as Williamsburg begins pricing them out.
Holden is under pressure from his constituency because Orthodox and Hasidic Jews believe dogs to be unclean. When you walk your dog around heavily observant Jewish areas, a common reaction is for the people to coil back in fear, even if your dog is an adorable, sweet basset hound.
Seriously though, I would assume that’s where the pressure and impetus is coming from. Either that or I’ve just relegated myself to one of those creepy “blame the jews for everything” Jews I’ve always been scared of.
Dear BL:
Thank you from all of the city’s dogs and dog owners for your excellent coverage of the offleash conflict. I have thus far been interviewed by magazines and TV and you are the only person who has accurately reported my comments. Other than one live feed TV interview, all of the reports have taken snippets out of context, usually making it seem that all I care about is the fact that offleash is healthy for dogs. While this is very true and very important, we live in communities and dogowners and non-dogowners alike have important rights and responsibilities. It’s not just the dogs who count in this picture.
Most important from my standpoint is that each park and its communities have different needs. The Parks Commissioner needs the power to make discretionary decisions with those groups.
Thank you for your article!
I have a dog and I can assure you, they defecate whether or not they are on a leash. That is why we have pooper scooper laws and why I support them.
Where I used to live in Arlington you could tell those parks where dogs ran off the leash from those that had no dogs running free, the crimes invariably happened in areas where there were no dogs running free.
Taking fido out for a morning frolic where he can play openly with his pals makes for a healthier and better behaved dog. It is also good for the people. If there are problems the dog owners should meet with those who object, but it would be a pity if this informal arrangement came to an end.
I am writing this email to express my unhappiness about the possibility that I would not be able to walk my sweet, golden retriever Zach in Central Park off leash. Zach is an 8 1/2 year young golden who enjoys, as much as I do, the socialization every morning for two hours playing with our friends.
It is the most critical part of our day that sets the mood on how our day plays out. Central Park, as far as I am concerned, as well as the other parks throughout the City is the best free asset that we have.
It is a well known fact that our dogs are more friendly and have better social graces than dogs who are chained up, leashed etc. The freedom to play and interact makes them more adaptable to this enviornment.
The fact that we have such a high populous of dogs clearly shows that New York is a lover of animals. The love that an owner has for their four legged friends, who have become part of their family, warrants the airiing of my voice to state that I think it would be a terrible situation if we were not allowed to freely walk in the park during certain hours having our dogs off leash.
Perhaps due to the ignorance of some, that the situation is not totally understood and, for that, educating oneself would be a better way to address this issue rather than wasting the court’s time.
As a voter, any politician or aspirinig one would realize that this is not a way to create votes. If anything, the likelihood of this tactic would have the opposite effect as the canine world is huge.
As long as owners are responsible and use common sense in issues that relate to fellow canines and humans, it is for the betterment of our society that we continue with our freedom to walk our beloved dogs amongst our fellow neighbors.
If we were to fold to this irrational thinking that any canine off leash is a threat is purely absurd. I truly believe that the person who feels that way is more of a threat to our society.
Education and conversation is a far better way to address issues than creating a law suit.
Susan: I find your point of view reasonable and well thought-out. I just hope that this helps in some way.
The difference between blogs and TV News is that we don’t have to take quotes out of context to make 10- second soundbites.
BL
Dear BL,
I am with Susan this is wonderful, I hope everyone who is posting is also signing petitions which we are going to give to the Mayor.
I also wanted to post a paragraph from an article in the Civic newsletter written by Lorraine Sciulli Bob Holden’s sister-in-law.
I have to add this, the people in the land of OZ, who love to see large packs of unleashed dog, “socializing and exercising” in our NYC parks as if the parks were just made for them, keep stating their not so veiled threat of “Remember at the end of the Leash there’s a voter,”(which end?) Well guess what, we vote too and I have to think that at the “end of the day” it’s the NYC 24/7 leash law code 161.05 that will prevail! Laws rule, that’s why we have them, it’s the American way!
She is obviously a very pleasant woman. I want to state that in no way has anyone from the pro off-leash argument been as nasty or personalized the attacks as has Lorraine (even more so than Bob).
Thanks for the dialogue!
Terri Sullivan (Juniper Park Dog Association)
check out this article:
http://www.newyorktails.com/unleashed.htm