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- The Board of Health is meeting to decide whether to revise the dog-leash law in parks. Currently, the Juniper Park Civic Association is trying to get rid of off-leash hours, by pointing out to a judge that the city's health code says all dogs must be on a leash. The health code happens to conflict with park practices, which allows dogs to roam between 9PM and 9AM - and some people think the Board of Health may try to update the code to work with current practice.
- Friends of City Hall Park want the northern end of City Hall Park opened, so the group is threatening to sue the city. The park has been closed since September 11 (which is is later than we thought - we thought it was a pre-September 11 Giuliani move), and the group's lawyer says, "The city has no legal authority to take away public parkland without state legislation, and the Legislature has not authorized the city to close the northern portion of City Hall Park." 
- New Yorkers for Parks has its Daffodil Fest in Union Square on Saturday. Get free daffodils, help plant them and make parks look beautiful. And if you can't make it to Manhattan on Saturday, here's information on where the friendly yellows flowers will be given out on other days in other neighborhoods.
- And last night was the premiere of "It's My Park" on NYC TV. It'll encore tomorrow night at 11:30PM, but what's cool is that the Parks Department has many videos online, too.
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I am commenting regarding your brief segment on dogs and off leash hours. I can't count how many ways the policy is out of step with reality. In Prospect Park on a typical Saturday morning there are "700 dogs" roaming the park. That number came from an off-leash advocacy group. Would you allow your toddler in the middle of that?
Unleashed dogs in Prospect Park are supposed to be restricted to only three meadows, however, since there is virtually no enforcement most off-leash advocates do as they please. In addition, dogs are permitted off their leashes after 9pm. Explain to me how people are cleaning up after their dogs in the dark. I've been there many times and, no, they aren't watching their dogs closely or carrying a large flashlight to track down their pet's waste.
Over 8 million people are competing to use NYC's limited green space. How many of those people are allowed to chase other people, bite other people or dogs, go to the bathroom anywhere they want, trample newly planted flower beds, chase (and sometimes kill) wildlife and monopolize huge tracks of the park twice a day every day of the week? If you want to be a good neighbor petition the city for a fenced in dog run. Off-leash advocates imply that every dog owner in NYC thinks running their dog off leash in a public place is a good idea. I know plenty of dog owners who would disagree.
Last year in an article in Times magazine they wrote that there are approximately 1 million dogs in New York City. Of those dogs only 102,004 are licensed. The Department of Health stated today that they are concerned about an existing rabies problem in NYC. Dogs are required to have rabies shots, that is one reason they need a license. Can anyone say for sure if the other 897,996 dogs are vaccinated against rabies?
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you can pay me now or pay me later.
America, what a country.
I think if you dog is non threatening, way not allow the dog to play unleashed in CERTAIN PARKS. theres alot of parks with areas just for this purpose. Thank about it if you there coop up in a house for the most of the day they need time to run around and excersize in an open space. Besides if the're not trumpling the daffodils :-} who cares. The city should have a say but come on!!!
Rob, you're a true voice of reason. You've articulated my every sentiment about the entitlement of dog owners in this city. And for those of you who are going to lament about how hard it is for your dog to have to stay on a leash, perhaps you should have thought of that before becoming a dog owner in one of the most densely-populated areas in the world where you're highly unlikely to have outdoor space of your own. There is zero enforcement, at least in Prospect Park.
Rob, why are you dragging your toddler into an area designated as an off-leash area during off-leash times? Off-leash hours certainly are policed, and fines are handed out (though this could be done more strictly and effectively). Saying everyone "does as they please" is ridiculously misleading; at worst there are stragglers before/after the start/end times, and the occasional ignoramus who feels otherwise entitled.
And as every single dog owner in the world takes his/her dog out after dark, most every single dog owner in the world makes preparations for this (those that don't should be fined or worse). In your vast investigation into the matter you seem to have missed the invention of flashlights that aren't "large." If those 700 dogs were all roaming around at night unchecked, seven days a week, the entire Long Meadow would be filled with their waste. It is not; the garbage cans around it are.
It seems more reasonable to ask for a fenced-in dog area than a continuation of the free-ranging one that currently exists. I have a dog, and as obedient as she may be, I wouldn't let her run around off-leash in an unfenced area. Unless, of course, we're in one of the Dakotas or someplace where there's nothing around for miles. But in the city? No way, that's just reckless.
I may think my dog won't harm anyone, but what about my dog being injured in the park by a bicyclist, a random weirdo, or a car? Fenced dog runs are much safer for the dogs.
"Rob, why are you dragging your toddler into an area designated as an off-leash area during off-leash times? Off-leash hours certainly are policed, and fines are handed out (though this could be done more strictly and effectively). Saying everyone "does as they please" is ridiculously misleading; at worst there are stragglers before/after the start/end times, and the occasional ignoramus who feels otherwise entitled."
As somebody who runs in Prospect Park most mornings, I can say with some authority that this is utter bullshit. I see unleashed dogs as a matter of course.
"As somebody who runs in Prospect Park most mornings, I can say with some authority that this is utter bullshit. I see unleashed dogs as a matter of course"
Would those be mornings before 9am? That would be during off-leash hours. I still hold there's a tiny, pathetic minority who refuse to observe the hours. Again, if 700 dogs were wandering the park all through the day, you would notice. As with most laws, the majority of the people observe the designated hours; those who don't should be punished.
Park personnel start warning dog owners at 9am to leash their dogs. They have stopped posting cops (as far as I've noticed) at points around the meadow. They're probably involved with actual crime-type things.
And nycycle: Of course if you can't control your dog you don't let it run free. That's what leashes are for.
ok, ok...only dogs that are hot are allowed off-leash from now on.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/myszka/253270533/
"Would those be mornings before 9am? That would be during off-leash hours."
I'm aware of that - I'm commenting on the fact that people do not honor the geographical restrictions on where their dogs can be off-leash.
Just where is the geographical area where they may be unleashed? It's not like there are signs or that the parks department disseminates this information. Is a casual park user supposed to be proactive and contact a dog association or a conservancy to find out areas to avoid before enjoying the park? It is well documented that dogs are being let off-leash in forested areas, disturbing areas where birds nest and chasing wildlife. Should parklife now be expected to abandon their homes so that selfish dog owners can "exercise" their pets?
Christina, there are signs detailing the areas and hours most every park entrance (those triangular stand-up things that also include the park map and events). Hours are also listed on their site, which also includes phone numbers.
If dogs are off their leashes outside the designated areas and times, it's a violation. Report it, as you would any other.
I have not seen off-leash hours posted at any Queens park. Also, prospectpark.org is a conservancy, not the official NYC Parks Department website.
Christina, I'm only speaking about Prospect Park. It's the park I moved to be near, and it's the one I frequent several times a day.
And the official City Parks page links to the Alliance's park as the "Prospect Park Website."