Remember that fancy new East River Esplanade that opened last month on the lower lower east side? The one with the fancy new dog run? Well, it turns out that downtown dogs are getting sick from the brand-new run, because the park has turned into one giant toilet. more ›

In an effort to make people remember that New York is a coastal city and revitalize the lower lower east east side (i.e., LES, Chinatown, Financial District), the city has been pouring money into extending the East River Esplanade as part of the Vision 2020 project. In a reverse-High Line situation, Bloomberg's "newest jewel on New York City's magnificent harbor" utilizes the shade provided by the underside of the FDR as a platform to enjoy the East River. The newly opened parklike public space starts at Pier 11 between Wall Street and Maiden Street and marks the completion of Phase One of the $165 million project. Described as the "missing link in the City's greenway," the goal is to make the East River, like the Hudson, a destination spot and breathe life back into the area, also reminding New Yorkers that the city even has water in the first place. more ›

The Hudson River Park dog run at Pier 40 and Leroy Street is being painted as a canine cage match in the NY Post today. The paper reports that dog owners who use the run are fighting for a separate area for the small pups to enjoy, away from the bigger dogs that are allegedly attacking them; one owner likens the scenario for the petite pooches as "going up against Muhammad Ali." more ›

Yesterday we learned that dog owners are packing heat (okay, knives and billy clubs and hammers) at the Tompkins Square dog run, as a means of protection against possible pit bull attacks (there have been at least 5 on dogs and 2 on humans since September). What do the pit bull owners think of this? DNA Info says they're shrugging it off; pit bull Lily's owner, Dennis, says "Dogs aren't born bad, they're made bad," and his was made sweet! more ›

It's back to the Bad Old Days in Tompkins Square Park, where dog owners have begun carrying assorted weapons to protect themselves and their pooches against vicious attacks. According to DNA Info, the residents are carrying knives, hammers, billy clubs, and metal rods to the park after recent pit bull attacks at the dog run there. Local dog owner Garrett Rosso listed all of the attacks in a recent letter to the editor at the Villager, explaining five dogs and three people have been brought to the hospital during a two-month time span. more ›

Dog owners are speaking out against the egger who—in lieu of a noise complaint—has been bombing canines from a Park Slope condominium. At least three egg drops have occurred since December, prompting one patron of the dog run in J.J. Byrne Park to plan a counter-attack: “We should come out here with frozen milk bones and retaliate!” joked Annie Norman, who fears for her three-year-old Boxer, Chester. Others dispute whether the mad egger's anger is even justified. more ›

For nearly two months now pooch owners at a Park Slope dog run have lived in fear of the eggs that fall from the windows above. At least three eggings have occurred so far behind the newly-built Novo Condominiums, provoked by nighttime dog barking. The identity of the egg tosser remains secret, but probably not for long. more ›

The dog owners of the outer boroughs have oddly always seemed to have less outdoor space for their canines than those in Manhattan; or maybe they just speak up about it more. Either way, the Brooklyn Paper reports that dog owners of the South Slope "have commandeered a small park near the Prospect Expressway for a dog run" and are now angling to make it official. more ›

Won't anyone in the city throw a dog a bone? First Brooklyn was stingy with their parks, and now canine Queens residents are at odds with human city parks officials! The Daily News reports that Forest Hills pet owners want a dog run at Yellowstone Boulevard and 68th Avenue, but are being told to use the Under Bridge one "that residents call filthy and dangerous" (allegedly guard dogs are brought to exercise there). With over 900 signatures for the proposed run at Yellowstone Park, Queens Parks Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski is still ignoring the request, "figuring nonstop barking would irk nearby apartment dwellers and that city workers would have to move plants." more ›

Brooklyn photographer Michael Crouser sure has captured the dark side of New York's dog parks. The images are for his new book of photography called Dog Run, and a selection of them will be on display at the Gallery FCB through the month of October. Crouser relayed one story from a dog park to us, in which the pug you'll see in the images is the protagonist.

This little pug kept barking at me, and following me around, so eventually I turned my camera on him...he picked a distance that he liked to bark from, but it was just inches too close for me to focus on him. If I backed away he moved toward me the exact same distance and kept barking. I tried again, and again he moved with me...soon people were laughing at our little dog and camera show as we shuffled across the park. I finally figured out that if I moved toward him he would back away, just into range, so I could get one or two shots before he reestablished his fighting distance. This went on for about five minutes...until I had shot a whole roll of him looking earnestly and protectively and barkingly into the eye of the 300mm alien, which he very obviously didn't care for.