somerville dog

Licensing and Operation of Pet Shops - Public Hearing Notice

The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) is proposing to revise the regulations for the licensing and operation of pet shops in Massachusetts. Both the current regulations, Regulations: 330 CMR 12.00[PDF], and the NEW Proposed Regulations & Public Hearing Notice [PDF] are available online from the Bureau of Animal Health Pet Shop Program.

The Department will conduct two public hearings on Wednesday, April 7, 2004 to consider the proposed regulations as follows:

• 9 a.m. ? 11 a.m. Waltham 4-H Center (also known as Waltham Field Station), 240 Beaver Street, Waltham, MA in the Auditorium
  
• 2 p.m. ? 4 p.m. Natural Resources Conservation Service, 451 West St., Amherst, MA in the Conference Room

MDAR is also accepting written comments at the hearings and thereafter until close of business on April 14, 2004. Comments may be addressed to Mr. Kent Lage, Department of Agricultural Resources, 251 Causeway Street, Suite 500, Boston, MA 02114 by regular mail or by email Kent.Lage@state.ma.us, or fax 617-626-1850.

Buying a Dog in Massachusetts

The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) Bureau of Animal Health regulates the licencing and operation of pet shops in the Commonwealth and provides information for residents who are interested in Buying a Dog in Massachusetts.

MA legislation and your next dog

Whether or not you presently have a dog or dogs in your family, you may in the future wish to adopt a dog into your family. Whether you adopt your next dog from a shelter or rescue organization or a breeder, you will want to adopt a healthy dog that does not have a genetic propensity to diseases and other expensive health problems. You will want to adopt a dog that is well socialized. The socialization period in developing puppies is between four weeks and twelve weeks in age, give or take.¹ This does not necessarily mean that you have to socialize your dog before she is twelve weeks old: you can adopt a well socialized adolescent or adult dog. What this does mean is that the human caretaker of the four-to-twelve-week-old puppy--whoever that may be--has many responsibilities. Among these many responsibilities are the responsibility to socialize the puppy to other dogs (her mother and littermates are the obvious candidates, but there are, of course, situations in which a puppy can be raised in the company of other dogs) and the responsibility to socialize the puppy to humans. A puppy who is raised in a human home as a member of the family, such that the puppy is adequately socialized through sufficient individual attention from humans in their own sanitary and safe home, grows into a dog that is well-adapted to living with humans in our communities.

¹ Fogel, Bruce, The Dog's Mind: Understanding Your Dog's Behavior (New York: Macmillan [Howell], 1990), 69-70, see also pp. 79-95.

An act relative to breeder licensing has been presented to the Massachusetts House of Representatives (H 4537). The American Kennel Club reports (from the Massachusetts Federation of Dog Clubs and Responsible Dog Owners) that "on March 24, 2004, H4537 was voted out of the Steering Committee and sent to the House floor listed with low priority, not requiring a vote for approval. Rep. James Eldridge (D - Acton, [Boxborough and Shirley]) blocked it so the next time it is presented a vote will be required."

Eldridge has graciously supplied (in a personal e-mail) the text of H 4537:

H 4537, AN ACT RELATIVE TO BREEDER LICENSING

Section 1: Chapter 129, section 39A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2002 Official Edition, is hereby amended in line 2 by inserting after the words "pet shop" the following:-

'or engaged in the incidental breeding and subsequent sale, barter or exchange of litters of more than three breeding females'

The statement from the Massachusetts Federation of Dog Clubs and Responsible Dog Owners (included on the AKC Legislation page) opposes the bill because its wording is seen to be ambivalent in failing to distinguish between females that are kept intact in order to be eligible for AKC titles and females that are kept intact in order to be bred. It is my understanding that a person who shows as a hobby but does not want to ever breed a litter would not be "engaged in the incidental breeding and subsequent sale, barter or exchange of litters of more than three breeding females:" neither the current law nor the proposed amendment to it appear to apply to such a person. The point of AKC dog shows, however, is, at least in small part, to determine which individuals are the best breeding stock: In the AKC's words "conformation (overall appearance and structure)" is "an indication of the dog's ability to produce quality puppies."

An inquiry to the AKC Canine Legislation Department regarding their position on the proposed legislation and how it impacts owners of dogs competing for AKC titles remains unanswered. The AKC's Canine Legislation web pages include their position statement on breeding restrictions:

The American Kennel Club strongly supports and actively promotes a wide range of programs to educate the public about responsible breeding practices and the responsibilities of dog ownership.

The American Kennel Club opposes the concept of breeding permits, breeding bans or mandatory spay/neuter of purebred dogs. Instead, we support reasonable and enforceable laws that protect the welfare and health of purebred dogs and do not restrict the rights of breeders and owners who take their responsibilities seriously.

One fancier has explained by e-mail:

Hobby breeders oppose [MA 4537] and similar laws because they make no clear distinction between the commercial breeder, AKA puppy mills, and the person who keeps intact purebred dogs to show and breed as a hobby as opposed to a money making venture. Most hobby breeders keep only a few dogs, who live in the house and are personal pets as well as show and breeding dogs. Limiting them to three does not take into account that such breeders need to keep young dogs to see how they develop, and who keep older retired dogs. Then there is the fact that many toy breeds have very small litters, often only one, so if such breeders are limited to only three bitches, and one is a retired show/breeding dog, and two are youngsters too young to breed, who can they breed? Then there are the breeds, including standard poodles, who cannot get final clearance on much of their needed genetic health testing before the age of two.......These must be held back from breeding until then, so can't be bred yet. Most breeders need more than three bitches, at least some of the time to support a viable breeding effort.

Responsible hobby breeders acknowledge that these statements are true only of most hobby breeders and that there are some hobby breeders, who--perhaps because they have failed to adequately educate themselves on responsible breeding practices, or perhaps because they are unethical--engage in irresponsible breeding practices resulting in sickly dogs that are not adapted to live with humans in our communities.

The ambiguity that I find in the proposed amendment to MGL Chapter 129, section 39A is that it would extend the licensing and inspection requirements of the law to persons "engaged in the incidental breeding and subsequent sale, barter or exchange of litters of more than three breeding females," but the current version of the law specifies that it does not apply to "persons selling, exchanging or otherwise transferring the offspring of their personally owned animals." The ambiguity that the proposed amendment introduces into the current law appears to enable both the legal defense and the prosecution of hobby breeders. A lawyer defending an unlicensed hobby breeder would emphasize that the defendant sold, exchanged or otherwise transferred the offspring of her or his personally owned animals. A lawyer prosecuting the unlicensed breeder, on the other hand, would emphasize that the defendant engaged in the incidental breeding and subsequent sale, barter or exchange of litters of more than three breeding females.

It is the considered opinion of somervilledog.com that MA H 4537 falls short of the goal of insuring that the litters bred in Massachusetts produce dogs that are well adapted to live with humans in our communities in that the bill fails to address whether or not "every person engaged in the business of operating a pet shop or engaged in the incidental breeding and subsequent sale, barter or exchange of litters of more than three breeding females" can meet their responsibility to adequately socialize each puppy he or she produces. Furthermore, the ambiguity that MA H 4537 introduces MGL Chapter 129, section 39A would allow irresponsible and unethical breeders to continue to evade state licensing and inspection on the grounds that they personally own the animals whose litters they are selling.

Please contact your representative and tell her or him that MA H 4537 is bad legislation for the Commonwealth because it introduces ambiguity into the current law and would allow irresponsible and unethical breeders to continue evade state licensing and inspection on the grounds that they personally own the animals whose litters they are selling. The Commonwealth has a responsibility to its citizens to insure that the dogs we adopt as pets have been bred responsibly and have been socialized to other dogs and humans when they are puppies between four and twelve weeks old. MA 4537 does not advance responsible breeding practices.

Somerville Representatives (from the listing of state legislators by city/town on the Commonwealth of Massachusetts website):

Vincent P. Ciampa: ward four (precincts one and two) and ward seven (all precincts)

Patricia D. Jehlen: ward two (precinct three), ward three (all precincts), ward four (precinct three), ward five (all precincts) and ward six (all precincts)

Timothy J. Toomey, Jr.: ward one (all precincts), ward two (precincts one and two)

UPDATE 1 May 2004: For another opinion on this issue, see Bonnie Chandler's op-ed pieceon April 16, 2004 in The Harvard (MA) Post, "Thinking Aloud: Proposed legislation endangers the right to own animals."

Patriots' Day

Good luck to the runners in the 2004 Boston Marathon! And Go Sox!

The forecast for today is for high temperatures in the 80's. Even if your not going to run (or watch) the Marathon or watch Red Sox game this morning, it's a good day to play hookie...

The Boston Phoenix featured dog-friendly outings in the Outdoors 2004 Supplement (April 2). Genevieve Rajewski's article, Dog Days, is a good reference for some twenty day-trips. Somervudlians may not even have to get in their cars to visit Fresh Pond Park, in Cambridge, or Sheepfold, a field in the Middlesex Fells Reservation in Medford. But the article includes plenty of destinations for pups whose favorite words are, "Wanna go for a ride?!" Take 'em for a hike in Harold Parker State Forest on Route 119 in Ashby, or take em for a swim at the dog-friendly (the park has "poop-bag dispensers"!) Stodder's Neck on Route 3A in Hingham.

Happy Patriots' Day!

A few good dogs

The House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is considering the House Bill (HB 4600) making appropriations for the fiscal year 2005 and has adopted an amendment (1053) to section 45 of the bill that would amend the Massachusetts General Law Chapter 129 section 39A Pet shops; licensing operation; animal health inspections.

From the Massachusetts House Budget Journal for Tuesday, April 27 (the uncorrected proof of the official House record of debate):

The House Bill making appropriations for the fiscal year 2005 for the maintenance of the departments, boards, commissions, institutions and certain activities of the Commonwealth, for interest, sinking fund and serial bond requirements and for certain permanent improvements (House, No. 4600, amended) was considered.

Pending the question on passing the bill, as amended, to be engrossed . . .
.
.
.
Mr. Kujawski of Webster then moved that the bill be amended by inserting after section 45 and other members of the House [sic] the following section:

SECTION 45A. "Massachusetts General Law Chapter 129 section 39A is hereby amended by striking the word "selling" in the second paragraph and adding the following paragraphs at the end:

Any breeder or breeder's organization who breeds more than one litter per year of any breed of dog or cat and places any of those animals for sale, must register with the department of agriculture resources and report the sale of any such animals to the department. Included in this reporting shall be the name and address of the party or parties to whom such sale was made and the date of such sale.

Failure to register and report in compliance with this section and any promulgated regulations shall subject the offending party to a fine of five hundred ($500.00) dollars for each failure to report a birth of an animal and five hundred ($500.00) dollars for each sale of an animal.

The department shall promulgate rules and regulations at the earliest possible convenience to insure compliance with this section by such breeders...

Pending the question on adoption of the amendment, the same member moved that it be amended, in line 2, by striking out the word "one" and inserting in place thereof the word "three".

The further amendment was adopted, and the pending amendment, as amended, then also was adopted.

As far as I understand, the House Bill making appropriations for the fiscal year 2005 (HB 4600), has yet to be "engrossed," "typed on special parchment by the Legislative Engrossing Division and certified by the clerk." It would then have to be approved and enacted by both the House and the Senate, prior to being sent "to the governor, who may sign the bill into law, allow it to become law without signing it (if the governor holds the bill for ten days without taking any action while the legislature is in session, it becomes law without his or her signature), veto it, or return it to the legislature with recommended changes." (See Law Making in Massachusetts).

Joan Miller, of The Cat Fanciers' Association, has argued, in an e-mail discussing the pending legislation, that

requiring breeders to report . . . the names and addresses of . . . buyers [of individual anamals] to a state agency is an invasion of privacy. Some breeders sell to families out of state or to other breeders throughout the USA, Japan, Europe and elsewhere.

According to Massachusetts General Law Chapter 140: Section 137 Registration and licenses, a person who owns a dog is required to license her or his dog. Miller is justifiably concerned about the privacy of those who are not residents of Massachusetts who buy pets from Massachusetts breeders. Massachusetts residents who wish to adopt a dog that is well adapted to live with humans in our communities, however, would do well to adopt their next dog from a local breeder who produces no more than three litters per year.

Under the proposed legislation "any breeder or breeder's organization who breeds more than three litters per year of any breed of dog or cat and places any of those animals for sale, must register with the department of agriculture resources [MDAR] and report the sale of any such animals to the department." The American Kennel Club, which opposes any restrictions on the rights of breeders and owners who take their responsibilities seriously, opposes the breeder regulation provisions of the budget bill and argues that the MDAR does not have the resources to register every breeder or breeder's organization who breeds more than three litters per year. It seems to me, however, that the demands that the proposed legislation puts on the MDAR are mitigated by the fact that the proposed legislation would encourage breeders to limit their annual number of litters produced to three or fewer in order to avoid having to register with MDAR.

Please contact your senator and tell her or him that the breeder regulation section of the budget bill (Section 45A of the House Committee on Ways and Means Fiscal Year 2005 Budget Recommendations) is good legislation for the Commonwealth because it provides strong disincentives for breeding practices that not only contribute to the problem of dog overpopulation but also produce dogs that are not adapted to live with humans in our communities. (For somerville dog's opinion on breeding practices that produce dogs that are well adapted to live with humans in our communities, see "MA legislation and your next dog.")

Somerville Senators (from the listing of state legislators by city/town on the Commonwealth of Massachusetts website):

Senator Jarrett T. Barrios: ward one (precinct one) and ward two (precinct one)
Senator Charles E. Shannon: ward one (precincts two and three), ward two (precincts two and three), ward three (all precincts), ward four (all precincts), ward five (all precincts), ward six (all precincts) and ward seven (all precincts)

Senator Shannon is a member of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, his constituents' phone calls, letters and e-mails are especially important.

UPDATE 4 May 2004: Changed paragraph beginning "Joan Miller, of The Cat Fanciers' Association..." to include discussion of privacy concerns.

Breed Specific Legislation in Boston

Although beyond the scope of somervilledog.com, pending legislation in the city of Boston may be of interest, given the comments posted to my account of the attack on Strummer last week.

On Wednesday, April 28, 2004, the American Kennel Club issued a legislative alert regarding an ordinance that, they say, would require

residents to register their "pit bulls" with the city at a cost of $50 annually. Pit bulls are defined as American Pit Bull Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, or any mix of those breeds. The measure also limits residents to two pit bulls and requires owners to leash and muzzle their dogs when in public. Additionally, owners must display a sign on their property stating that a pit bull is located on the premises. Violators will be subject to a $100 fine and the pit bull will be immediately impounded. Exemptions are provided for animals participating in contests, shows or exhibitions within city limits, but animals may not remain for more than two weeks.

Boston City Council conducted a public hearing to consider the proposed legislation on Thursday, April 29. Both The Boston Globe and The Boston Herald reported on the hearing in their editions the following day.

Continue reading "Breed Specific Legislation in Boston"

Dog Shows

One piece of advice that is frequently given to prospective dog adopters is to attend local dog shows to learn more about different breeds and talk to people who have experience with them. If you are considering adopting a poodle, you will be interested to know that The Poodle Club of Massachusetts is holding their annual show tomorrow, Friday, May 28, 2004, at Borderland State Park.

Other upcoming dog shows in Massachusetts are listed on Infodog. There are quite a few breed specialty shows this weekend:

Great Dane Club Of New England
Yankee Weimaraner Club
Colonial Afghan Hound Club, Inc.
Merrimack Lhasa Apso Club
Pilgrim Doberman Pinscher Club
Colonial Shetland Sheepdog Club
Irish Setter Club Of New England
Cocker Spaniel Breeders Club Of New England, Inc.
Yankee Siberian Husky Club
Paul Revere Miniature Schnauzer Club
Yankee Golden Retriever Club
Bull Terrier Club Of America
Norwegian Elkhound Minutemen Association (Agility Trial)

There are also two all breed shows, the Ladies' Dog Club show on Saturday and the Framingham District Kennel Club show on Sunday, both at Crackerbarrel Fairgrounds in Wrentham.

Update: Breed Specific Legislation in Boston

Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) will do little to protect people and dogs from being attacked by other dogs. Nonetheless, yesterday, the Boston City Council voted 7-4 in favor of "some of the most comprehensive restrictions on pit bull ownership in the state," according to Donovan Slack's, article, "Council approves pit bull restrictions," in today's Boston Globe. "Mayor Thomas M. Menino pledged to sign the measure when it reaches his desk."

The same author reported on the question, Muzzle or nuzzle? yesterday.

If Boston pit bull owners are going to change their mayor's mind, it is in their best interest to practice and promote responsible dog ownership now. It certainly does not help the breed's cause in Boston that, yesterday, the same day that the Council voted in favor of the ordinance, a Boston police officer's pit bull, missing since the night before, attacked a Shiba Inu inflicting a broken leg and puncture wounds, according to Elisabeth J. Beardsley and Sheila Halloran's story, "Deadly attack puts pit bulls in doghouse," in the Boston Herald.

Last week, "police shot and killed a pit bull after the dog attacked an exterminator, a dog catcher and a cop and killed another dog yesterday afternoon in Roslindale" according to David Weber, writing in the Herald ("Raging pit bull killed by cops after vicious attacks on 3"). Dog-owners, please, if your dog will be home when a contractor will be doing work in your home, restrain your dog and advise the contractor that there is a dog on the premises.

It is unacceptible when a dog of any breed attacks people or other dogs. It is also illegal (see Code of Ordinances, City of Somerville, Massachusetts, Sec. 3-33. Disturbance of the peace by dogs.) Breed specific legislation will not stop dog attacks; responsible dog ownership and enforcement of existing laws will. If you are the victim or the witness of a dog-attack, please report the incident to the local authorities. I did.

How to stop dog attacks

Human communities have no reason to tolerate any dog that has, unprovoked, attacked a human being. That a dog that "mauled" a six-year-old boy yesterday, according to the stories in today's Globe and Herald, was shot and killed by Boston Police is entirely appropriate. It is also unfortunate.

CBS 4 Boston also did a story on the shooting of the dog this morning. The story, "Another pit bull attack in the Boston area," is available online in the CBS4 Video Library .

Karen Pryor explains, in her book, aptly titled Don't Shoot the Dog (New York: Bantam, 1999), that "shooting the animal" is one of eight methods of getting rid of undesirable behavior exhibited by the animal. She points out that, with this method, "you will never have that behavioral problem with that subject again" (100). And indeed, "Beaver" or "Joe" (as the dog is alternately called in the Globe and Herald articles) will never attack another human again.

But shooting the dog does nothing to change the behavior that put "Joe" in the position to "maul" a six-year-old boy in the first place: the irresponsible behavior of Joe's owner. Joe's owner failed to adequately socialize his dog: an adequately socialized dog does not maul six-year-old boys--or anyone else, for that matter--unprovoked. Joe's owner failed to adequately restrain his dog: What was Joe doing, unsupervised, where he had access to a six-year-old boy? What was Joe doing, unsupervised, in an outdoor pen from which he could escape? And last, but not least, Joe's owner failed to protect his dog. What was Joe doing, unsupervised, in a place where the boy, according to the Herald, "often threw rocks at the animal in his pen."

Responsible dog ownership means raising your dog in such a way that he behaves appropriately in the human community in which he lives. It also means protecting your dog from being abused by sociopaths. No dog should ever be left outside unsupervised.

Update (30 June 2004): Mayor Menino ill-advisedly signed the breed specific legislation yesterday, as reported in the Globe today.

Adopting across state lines

The National Animal Interest Alliance (NAIA) issued a press release on June 1, 2004 regarding a "rabid Puerto Rican 'rescue pup' imported by a Massachusetts animal shelter" and calling for tighter regulation of dog and cat imports.

Shipment of Dogs into the Commonwealth is regulated by the Code of Massachusetts Regulations (CMR), chapter 330 section 3.00. If you are adopting a dog from out-of-state, you would do well to familiarize yourself and comply with this section of the CMR, which requires that

all dogs shipped or in any way transported into the Commonwealth of Massachusetts from any point outside thereof must be accompanied by a health certificate approved by the Livestock Official of the State of origin showing that they are free from all symptoms of infectious, contagious and communicable diseases; that they have not been exposed to rabies and if vaccinated the certificate shall include the date of vaccination.

Any dog which originated in an area where rabies has been known to exist within a period of six months prior to importation shall have been properly vaccinated with rabies vaccine within 12 months prior to date of importation and may, at the discretion of the Director, be subject to quarantine at destination for a period of not less than 14 days following arrival within the Commonwealth.

According to the code, a dog that enters the Commonwealth without the required health certificate,

shall be segregated at the risk and expense of the owner or the person, firm or corporation in whose charge the dog or dogs are held and placed under quarantine for a 90-day period or may be released by order of the Director provided the owner or his authorized representative shall agree to return said dog or dogs immediately to the State in which shipment originated.

A health certificate is not required for dogs travelling through the Commonwealth nor for "performing dogs kept under direct control during their stay in the Commonwealth."

Additional information about the rabies incident in Boston in May circulated widely by e-mail at the time:

Info from Public Health Veterinarian, Vermont

Brief Summary of Report: Six persons in Boston required rabies prophylaxis. Investigators are looking for others exposed to this dog. It came from a Puerto Rico organization which has also shipped dogs to NJ, CT, VT, and TX.

Description: On May 20, 2004, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) State Laboratory Institute confirmed the presence of rabies in a 3-month-old puppy that had been imported from Puerto Rico on May 18. The puppy and 5 other dogs had been flown to an animal shelter in Boston, Massachusetts from San Juan, Puerto Rico as part of a stray animal relocation program. Upon arrival at the shelter, the puppy was observed with an unsteady gait. The following day additional neurological signs developed and the dog was euthanized and subsequently tested positive for rabies virus antigen; variant typing is pending. None of the animals are reported to have been vaccinated against rabies.

At present, it is unknown how this puppy was exposed to the rabies virus. In Puerto Rico, the mongoose is the dominant terrestrial reservoir responsible for transmission of rabies virus to domestic animals. The dogs came from an organization known as Save a Sato (www.saveasato.org) in Puerto Rico that rescues stray dogs. This organization has arrangements with several animal shelters in Massachusetts and other states (including NJ, CT, VT, and TX) for importation and adoption.

The airline, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Puerto Rico Department of Health were notified for further follow-up of persons who may have been exposed to this rabid puppy, and to identify other potentially exposed animals. MDPH has identified six people at the Massachusetts animal shelter who were exposed to the rabid puppy and required post-exposure prophylaxis.

In Massachusetts, interstate animal importations fall under the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources [MDAR] which requires that dogs and cats have a valid health certificate indicating non-exposure to rabies prior to importation. Imported dogs or cats that are not currently vaccinated for rabies must be vaccinated within 90 days of entry or acquisition or upon reaching the age of 6 months. The importation of this rabid puppy illustrates the need to be vigilant for signs of rabies in animals of unknown exposure history. Persons adopting animals imported from another state or U.S. territory should be informed of the source of the animal and should also be educated about rabies and other potential zoonotic health risks unique to the animal's area of origin.

For more information, persons may contact Dr. Fredric Cantor at the MDPH, 617-983-6804.

(via the pet-law discussion group)

The e-mail quoted above reveals ambiguity in the CMR that seems to allow dogs to enter the Commonwealth without certification of non-exposure to rabies before they are six months old. Prevention of the Spread of Rabies is regulated by 330 CMR 10.00, which requires that

Any person acquiring a dog or cat shall have the animal vaccinated by a licensed veterinarian against rabies by the age of six months or within 30 days of acquisition if the animal is over six months of age, unless proof of previous vaccination is available.

Perhaps the ninety-day quarantine period provided for in the regulation of the Shipment of Dogs into the Commonwealth covers the apparent discrepancy in the CMR. Given the recent incident of rabies involving a three-month-old puppy imported into Massachusetts, it would behoove the Commonwealth to clarify its regulations concerning the shipment of dogs under six months of age into the Commonwealth, and to communicate these regulations to animal shelters and other orgnaizations in Massachusetts that import young dogs.

Pet Rock

We took Strummer to the Pet Rock Festival, yesterday. I failed to take any good pictures, but Hamor Hollow Hedgehogs has a couple of photo galleries of the festival on their website. Sean Hamor took the pictures posted here.

I think Strummer thought she had died and gone to doggie heaven. Unlike the real world, where most people a dog meets when out for a stroll are not with dogs, in doggie heaven almost every person is with a dog! They even have squirrels on leashes in doggie heaven! Strummer noticed the ferret before I did, but fortunately someone gasped, "Oh my gosh," and caught my attention before Strummer had a chance to pounce. (The ferret, a fine animal, probably would have had Strummer for lunch.)

When we arrived at the festival grounds at Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester, the Blue Dog Group a was beginning a Canine Frisbee show. One of the amazing Border Collies that performed is a rescue. The Pet Rock Festival benefits Massachusetts-based animal welfare organizations, including shelters, cruelty watchdogs and rescue leagues. There are nearly 100 rescue groups and shelters listed on their site.

Strummer, who doesn't retrieve (she's a meta-retriever and likes to chase dogs that are playing fetch), really, really wanted to play with the fabulous Border Collies in the Canine Frisbee exhibition. She actually barked. Twelve times. Since we adopted her in April she has barked twice.

We visited the booth of the Friends of the Sharon Dog Park. Opening Day of the Sharon Dog Park is October 9, 2004. The Friends of the Sharon Dog Park are accepting donations to cover the cost of fencing, which must be installed before opening day.

Our friends at Poodle Rescue of New England had the booth right next to the Sharon Dog Park booth. We met other rescued poodles--Bonnie, a chocolate standard, and the elegant and gregarious Diva, a small white standard. Keah, an apricot standard, who is available for adoption, was relaxing in the shade with her foster mom.

We arrived too late to see the Weston Whirlwinds flyball and Gemini Dog Training & Daycare agility demonstrations, but Strummer and I enjoyed an agility course walk-through with one of the Gemini trainers.

7th Annual Dog Walk - Forest Hills Cemetery

About forty people and their dogs enjoy the annual Dog Walk at the Forest Hill Cemetery. Leashed dogs are welcome in the Cemetery, which is open to the public every day, from 8:30 a.m. to dusk.

Saturday, October 2, 10 am
$10 per human
Raindate: October 9

The Dog Walk is a unique annual expedition for sociable dogs and their owners. Historian Dee Morris leads this lively walking tour of monuments of interest to our canine friends. Certificates and treats are awarded upon completion. $10 admission for each human.

Reservations are strongly recommended as attendance is limited; call 617.524.3354.

Sponsored by Polkadog Bakery

Make your reservations today to enjoy this year's walk!

The admission fee covers the cost of the walk guide, Dee Morris, a social historian who recently conducted a tour of Medford Square and, this summer, conducted the Cambridge Discovery Walk, "Side by Side: A Cambridgeport Ramble." Morris will be leading a tour of the Mount Auburn Cemetery on September 26, "Memories of the Civil War at Mount Auburn Cemetery: Personalities of the Times."

24th Annual MSPCA-Angell Walk for Animals

Eight Somerville Dogs walked with twenty-two human companions comprising team somervilledog.com in the twenty-fourth annual MSPCA-Angell Walk for Animals on a chilly but sunny Sunday morning, October 17, in Boston Common. Somervilledog.com thanks the people and dogs that walked on our team, everyone who bought team T-shirts, our top (and only) corporate sponsor, Pet Spa, and our co-workers, friends and families for their generous contributions to support MSPCA-Angell!

As Yukon's human companion explained, when I apologized for the team's getting separated when the Walk began at 10:00, "once the walk started, we just started walking. That's what he likes to do and it was his day!"

Team somervilledog.com (from left to right) Shannon with Cinder (a Lab/Pointer mix), Peter (from Blue Hill, ME), Genevieve, Stuart with King (a Greyhound), Adrienne, and Michele with Strummer (a Standard Poodle). Not pictured are Deborah and Rob and their two children with their dog Anna (a Husky/Shepherd mix); David and Nora with Austin (a Pomeranian); Janice with her dog Patsy (a Shepherd mix) and her nieces with their Corgi, Winnie (from Lexington); and Michael with Yukon. The following Somerville dogs had to stay home but were with us in spirit: three-legged Dash, Stu's second Greyhound, who is recovering from chemotherapy; Rosie, Genevieve's Pit Bull, whom she adopted last month from a shelter in Rhode Island and who is still getting used to being a beloved pet; and Willy, a Miniature Poodle whom Adrienne adopted last year and who was recently treated at Angell for heart problems.

Yukon (Siberian Husky) and teammates meet and greet.

Strummer: "I thought this was supposed to be a Walk for Animals."

A team member checks out some early Halloween costumes.

UPDATE 31 October 2004: Added the Team somervilledog.com picture.

som|dog's first field trip

The 24th Annual MSPCA-Angell Walk for Animals turned out to be a great oppoutunity for a field trip. On Sunday, October 17, som|dog, the Somerville Dog Owners Group (represented here by the human companions of King, a greyhound, and Cinder, a lab/pointer mix), took a moment to research the City of Boston's off-leash pilot program in Boston Common.

The Pilot Program extends off-leash privileges in Boston Common from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m and establishes the following rules for off-leash recreation:

• All Dogs Must Be Licensed
• Owners Must Pick Up After Their Dogs
• Discourage Digging of Lawn Areas
• Dogs Must Be Under Control At All Times
• Only One Dog Off Leash Per Owner
• Only Adult Owners May Use the Prescribed Area

Across Charles Street, in the Public Garden, dogs are allowed on leash, as they are in Boston Common. And, as in Boston Common, in the Public Garden, the City of Boston provides doggie-bags.

Rabies in Cambridge

The City of Cambridge website has an announcement from the Animal Commission about two separate incidents in which dogs were attacked by rabid wild animals--in one case, by a rabid raccoon and, in the other, by a rabid skunk. One attack occurred at the Fresh Pond Recreation Area, a popular off-leash destination, and the other in the Lake View Avenue area nearby.

Oct 25, 2004

Animal Commission Advises Caution Regarding Area Wildlife Following Two Attacks on Dogs

The Cambridge Animal Commission report [sic] two separate incidents in the past few weeks in which a rabid raccoon and a rabid skunk attacked two dogs, one occurring at Fresh Pond and the other in the Lakeview Avenue area.

The Commission urges residents to exercise caution and offers the following tips to minimize the risk of encounters with area wildlife, including raccoons, skunks and opossums.

• Make sure your pets are current on their rabies vaccination. All dogs and cats over the age of 6 months are required to be vaccinated against rabies. The recommendation for an unvaccinated animal that encounters a confirmed rabid animal would be humane euthanasia.
• Keep garbage cans securely closed and clean up trash spills quickly. To further discourage animals from entering your trash can, add a rag soaked with ammonia to the garbage with each new load of trash; tie old stockings filled with mothballs or flakes to the handles of the garbage can; or sprinkle the contents of the can with cayenne pepper.
• Secure your home or apartment by capping chimneys, checking vents, gables and eaves and pruning tree branches that overhang your roof.
• Never feed your pet outdoors. Never feed wildlife.
• Do not allow pets to wander loose. There is a citywide leash law for dogs, and the Animal Control office also recommends that all cats be kept indoors.
• Teach your children not to approach stray or wild animals, including baby animals.
• If you see a normally nocturnal animal, such as a raccoon, out during the day and behaving abnormally by moving slowly or exhibiting obvious signs of illness, call the Animal Control office at 617-349-4376.

If you suspect rabies in Somerville, please call the Animal Control Department, Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., at 617-625-6600, ext.2190. After hours please dial 9-1-1.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts requires that dogs, cats, and ferrets be vaccinated against rabies. Dogs and cats must be vaccinated by a licensed veterinarian against rabies by the age of six months or, if the owner acquires the animal when it is over six months of age, within 30 days of acquisition, unless proof of previous vaccination is available. Furthermore, all dogs and cats shall receive booster vaccinations at the intervals recommended by the manufacturer of the vaccine. Detailed Rabies Information for residents of the Commonwealth is available from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources.

via craigslist

Boston: Dog Recreation Spaces Ordinance

Only three days to som|dog's Conway Park Clean-Up!

On the Boston City Calendar tomorrow is an item of interest to dog lovers:

Title: Hearing

Boston City Council
Docket #1371
Ordinance re: establishing procedures for the Creation,
Maintenance, and use of Dog Recreation Spaces [pdf].

Location: Boston City Hall
Christopher Iannella Chamber
5th Floor
Boston, MA 02201

Time: 1:00 PM

Nearest T Station:Government Center

This is a public hearing: If you are interested in dog recreation in Boston, please attend this important meeting!

For more information contact Councillor Michael Ross, or Alicia Rampulla, City Council Government Operations Liaison, (617) 635-4645/1185.

Via personal e-mail. See also The South End.

Continue reading "Boston: Dog Recreation Spaces Ordinance"

You've made your list and checked it twice...

Somerville has several options for the discerning dog owner in the market for rooty-toot-toots and rummy-tum-tums:

• Big Fish Little Fish
  55 Elm Street
• The Dog House
  169 Washington Street
• Fi-dough: Pet Bakery, Boutique and Grooming Salon
  70E Beacon Street
• Pet Spa
  669 Somerville Avenue
• Stinky's Kittens & Doggies Too
  110 Bristol Road

A fun holiday treat for dog lovers (and a great source for gift ideas) is the annual Bay Colony Dog Show, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, December 2 through Sunday, December 5, at the Bayside Exposition Center (Local News).

Every day offers a unique mix of competitions, demonstrations, and special events, and each day is presented by a different prestigious AKC dog club resulting in one "Best in Show" trophy each day.

The weekend offers family-oriented dog demonstrations by the Boston Police K-9 Unit, Northeast Search and Rescue as well as the annual "rescue parade" spotlighting pooches who found a new leash on life through breed rescue clubs. (Press Release)

Congratulations Boston!

Yesterday Mayor Menino signed the Dog Recreation Space Ordinance in the City of Boston. On the Boston Dogs message board, Stephen Fox writes:

I'm delighted to let my fellow Southenders (as well as many interested folks citywide) know that the Mayor has today signed the Dog Recreation Space Ordinance.

By signing this legislation, the Mayor has lent his considerable support to moving Boston forward on an issue that has been festering and controversial for some time. By endorsing this ordinance, the Mayor has encouraged dog owners and non-owners citywide to begin to work together to craft reasonable and sensible neighborhood specific solutions to Boston's growing urban dog recreation needs.

While enactment of the ordinance is really just a first step in the
process, it is essential to creating, for the first time in Boston's
history, a framework for sanctioned, legally recognized dog recreation spaces. We are grateful to the Boston City Council, who passed the ordinance without objection, Councillor Mike Ross, the original ordinance author, and Mayor Tom Menino, together with many supportive staff from his administration (including the Parks Department, Animal Control, and the Mayor's Office itself).

This is a real step forward, and we should all be encouraged. Special
thanks are due to the scores upon scores of dog owners and non dog owners who worked tirelessly to help to bring this legislation to fruition. The support of so many thoughtful and energetic people who lent their ideas and voices to the entire process was key to its ultimate success. Together with the Council and the Mayor, give yourselves a well deserved pat on the back.

More information about Boston's Dog Recreation Space Ordinace, can be found under "Legislation."

Ringer Playground Crime Watch

An article in The Boston Globe on February 6 explains how a group of concerned dog-owners in Allston are improving the quality of life of all residents:

Normally, crime watches in Boston (there are more than 1,000) focus on a block or two, but the Ringer Park dogs and dog-lovers bit off a little bit more: not just the park itself, which includes a playground, a ball field, and a small corner of urban wild at its southern end, but also several residential blocks around it. This widening of scope was vital, says [co-organizer Jonathan] Ralton, because the park has often been used as a launching point or getaway route for break-ins and vandalism and because disturbances in the park have an adverse affect on the quality of life of its neighbors.

More information:

Ringer Park Crime Watch Group

Ringer Playground Dog Park Group

via BostonDogs

Newton establishes off-leash task force

The [Newton] Board of Aldermen voted in favor of establishing a task force on Feb. 22 which would be charged with coming up with the guidelines for an off-leash pilot program. Members of the task force are expected to be named by the end of this month.

"Off-leash debate circles around West Newton park," by Bernie Smith, Newton TAB, March 2, 2005.

Beverly considers off-leash options at Bessie Baker Park

Friends of dogs in Beverly, MA formed the Beverly Animal Resource Coalition (BARC) in 2002, around the time that their Parks and Recreation Department proposed an ordinance change that would ban dogs from Lynch Park (see "No dogs, no spirit," by Brian McGrory, Globe Columnist, 9/24/2002).

More than two years later, Beverly is still having trouble identifying viable options for off-leash recreation. Bob Gates writes for the Beverly Citizen that there is at least as much concern about off-leash recreation at Bessie Baker Park as there is support.

Safety of Public Open Spaces

A letter printed in the Globe today, in response to the latest electrocutions of dogs in Boston, points to the scope of the problems that endanger us and our pets in public spaces ("NStar is only part of problem"). Monica Ponce de Leon, Associate Professor of Architecture at Harvard University explains that there are no safety standards regulating construction work in public open spaces comparable to the safety standards to which workers are held accountable in the construction of buildings.

We have safety mechanisms that protect the public from faulty work in the construction of buildings; not so for the construction of our streets. When we build a home, a business, or even a public building, electricians must be certified and comply with drawings designed by engineers. Moreover, their work is reviewed by Inspectional Services before completion and the spaces can be occupied. Not so in our public spaces.

Ponce de Leon commends Boston City Councilor and mayoral candidate, Maura Hennigan, for introducing a bill that addresses these issues.

Here in Somerville, Aldermen Dennis Sullivan (At Large) and Robert Trane (Ward 7) recently submitted an order

that the Superintendent of Lights and Lines immediately survey all roadways for possible electrical shocks to pedestrians or animals, and work with the utility to immediately rectify any problems (Agenda for the Board of Aldermen Meeting, March 10, 2005).

With all due respect to Aldermen Sullivan and Trane (and I do respect them) for their initiative, if the claims made in the letter in today's Globe are true for Somerville, and there are no standards in place to insure that future work is completed with regard to public safety, the risk to residents and our pets may not be mitigated by surveying and rectifying existing problems.

If these claims are true, I'm going to think twice whenever I have to cross a bridge. -Canis Major

Education and Enforcement

Fifteen-year-old, "Sarah" is a member of 4-H. "The first thing they teach you is dog responsibility" her mother says. "Members know they don't leave the house without some plastic bags in their pockets."

Animal Control officers, Health Departments and other city officials in Duxbury, East Bridgewater, Halifax, Marshfield, Middleborough, Pembroke and Plymouth discuss enforcement of pooper-scooper laws in a Boston Globe article, "Region's pet waste laws have bark, but little bite."

Charlesgate Dog Run

via e-mail

From its website, you would never know that the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) maintains a dog run. And, indeed they do not maintain it.

DogFriendly.com includes the Charlesgate Dog Run (at the Southwest corner of the Harvard--a.k.a. Mass. Ave--Bridge) in their City Guide for Boston, Massachusetts.

Here's a recent picture, taken by a local resident:

The photographer has contacted the DCR and has sent the photo to the Boston Globe's Photo Desk. He observes that the park, has "become a dump and has been like this for months. It is an ugly contrast with Storrow Drive, The Bridge and the Esplanade and hardly enhances the new banners put up for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater."

"This is an example of a dog run designed to fail," says Penny Cherubino, a back bay resident and dog owner. "The run is too small, has no group to support or maintain it and was designed without a plan for trash removal. What you are seeing in that photo is from the homeless people who drove the dog owners out of there. The waste is human waste. There is a homeless community under the nearby bridge and they use the park as their bathroom and trash bin."

The stated mission of the Department of Conservation and Recreation is "to protect, promote and enhance our common wealth of natural, cultural and recreational resources for the well being of all." Judging by the recent photo of the Charlesgate Dog Run, I would say that, in this case, the DCR is not fulfilling its mission.

Can the Charlesgate Dog Run be saved? Certainly: with creative and combined efforts of not only the DCR and local dog owners but also, perhaps, other organizations that share an interest in issue, for example, the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless and the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay.

Animal Control (and city websites): Another Model

The town of Belmont, MA gets it: A city is comprised of the citizens, and city administrations are established to serve the citizens.

Check out the official website for Belmont. Their Animal Control Department (part of the Health Department) has a page where lost and missing pets can be listed and a page of pets available for adoption. It also has a page for the Belmont Dog Owners Group.

Mount Misery Organization

In the past year that Strummer has been a member of my family I've taken her to a lot of places I'd never before been: The Middlesex Fells, Fresh Pond Reservation, the Arnold Arboretum, Cat Rock, Wingaersheek Beach, Singing Beach. We visit new (to us) dog-friendly places as I learn of them and return to our favorites regularly.

Though it gets "three paws up" from the Dog Lover's Companion to Boston, we have never been to Mount Misery. I hope we haven't missed our chance.

This spring new regulations were approved relating to dogs at Mount Misery: "effective Monday, April 4, all dogs at Mt. Misery and the neighboring fields will be required to be on a leash at all times. In addition, dog walkers will be required to remove all feces deposited by their dogs in this area" ("New regs proposed for Mount Misery," the Lincoln Journal, March 10, 2005, via the Mt. Misery Organization website).

Note: The majority of the articles and letters that have been printed in the Lincoln Journal with regard to these regulations are no longer available on the Journal's website, but they have been archived by Lincoln dog owner, Dick McWalter on the Mt. Misery Organization's news page. In addition to the Mt. Misery Organization another group, Friends of Mt. Misery, has also formed to faciltate communication between people who enjoy Mount Misery and the stewards appointed by the Town.

Mount Misery comprises "more than 200 acres of woods, trails and agricultural fields bounded by Route 117, Route 126 and the Sudbury River in Lincoln" ("New dog regs at Mt. Misery," March 24, 2005).

Mary Lincoln, Chairperson of the Lincoln Conservation Commission, explains:

the Mt. Misery lands were purchased with state and federal funds as well as local funds. Lands purchased with public funds must be open to all persons in the Commonwealth for passive recreation. However, the commission is still the entity responsible for the stewardship of these lands and as such may limit use or limit access as necessary to protect the land and the ecosystem it supports, so long as we do not discriminate or give priority to our own residents ("Commentary: Can co-existence be achieved?," April 21, 2005).

In response to the organization of a local dog owners, the Commission postponed the implemation of the regulations until after a public hearing could be held to discuss them ("Leash rule postponed," April 7, 2005).

"More than 100 residents of Lincoln and of surrounding towns filled the Hartwell multipurpose room April 27 for the hearing. . . . A follow-up meeting, at which commissioners are scheduled to make a decision on the regulations, is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 18" ("Dog regs disputed," May 5, 2005).

I am very encouraged that the townspeople of Lincoln and the Lincoln Conservation Commission are cooperating to find a solution that "will protect the land and the ecosystem it supports" and ensure that Mount Misery continues to serve the many and diverse needs of "all persons in the Commonwealth for passive recreation."

Responsible dog owners have ten good reasons to clean up after our dogs every time. We appreciate the courtesy of mutt mitts afforded at some dog-friendly places, and we find the amenity of adequate trash receptacles preferable to "carry away" policies.

We also support leash laws. In a perfect society we would be able to allow our dogs off-leash: Responsible dog owners understand that, even off-leash, dogs have no more right to "run free" than people do. After all, people stay to the right when we walk on sidewalks, we look both ways before crossing the street, and we do not walk in our neighbors' flowerbeds. Even if I could keep Strummer in a perfect heel every day when we walk along Somerville's streets, leash laws protect us from the owners of other dogs who cannot.

Like our dogs, society is not perfect. We need leash laws, and that is why we also need options for off-leash recreation. (Analogously, we seem to need laws against playing ball on streets [City Ordinance 12-13], which is why we also need ball parks.) Our dogs need to socialize with other dogs and with people. A properly socialized dog does not bark or lunge at other dogs. Moreover, a properly socialized dog can easily be trained to walk appropriately on a leash. And, a tired dog is a good dog. Local options for off-leash recreation benefit every community in the Commonwealth.

Responsible Dog Owner Groups

Jonathan Ralton is a responsible dog owner and lives in Brighton. In June 2003 he set up a yahoo group for neighborhood dog owners. Today the Ringer Playground Dog Owners Group includes ninety-two members who have posted over 600 messages.

Ralton and other members of the Ringer Playground Dog Owners Group are active members of the Ringer Playground Crime Watch Group,¹ which, in February of this year, was featured in an article in the Boston Globe, "Dogs add bite to crime watch."

¹Additional information about the activities of the Ringer Park Crime Watch Group is available on the website of Emerald Necklace Budo Martial Arts.

The efforts of Ralton and the Ringer Playground Dog Owners Group, both behind the scenes and on the front line, to make their neighborhood and their neighborhood park a better place are worthy of both praise and support. Instead of praise, however, the community newspaper blames the group for the tension between dog owners and other members of the community who enjoy the 12.38 acre park:

Noreen Kennedy is shocked that dog owners are allowing their pooches to dig holes in the softball field, where she practices with the Allston-Brighton Women's Softball League.

"When these dogs are off leash, they're out of control of these people," said Noreen Kennedy. "Their attitude is if anyone is bothered by it, all they have to do it ask me."

But Kennedy, who owns two shiatsus [sic] herself, said that unfairly puts the responsibility on parents and other park users.

. . .

Kennedy blames the problem on a local dog owner Web site started in 2003.

Kennedy probably owns a pair of Shih Tzus, not a pair of massage therapists, and she has a point: It is the responsibility of everyone who owns a dog to ensure that her or his dog never greets a person without that person's explicit consent. What is so insidious about the Allston-Brighton TAB's reporting, however, is that it implies that Ralton disagrees with her.

On the contrary, it is because of the passion of Ralton and the Ringer Park Dog Owners Group that more and more dog owners in Allston/Brighton understand the responsabilities of dog owners both to their dogs and to their community.

Want better-behaved dogs in your community? Support your local dog owners group!

Update: Mt. Misery

Today the Lincoln Journal is running a story about the third public hearing regarding the new regulations regarding dogs at Mount Misery in Lincoln that was held on May 18.

Readers will recall that last week's meeting was the continuation of the second public hearing that was held on April 27.

A letter from dog owners in Somerville and Boston was printed in the Lincoln Journal last week. Additional materials from the Journal have been archived on the Mt. Misery Organization website.

Continue reading "Update: Mt. Misery"

Sharing open space in Boston

On January 5, 2005, Mayor Menino signed the City of Boston's Dog Recreation Spaces Ordinance, which provides for community groups to apply for a designated dog recreation space (see City of Boston Municipal Code 11-10.2 Dog Recreation Spaces).

If the Ringer Playground Dog Owners Group plans to submit an application, they must work closely with Friends of Ringer Park and reach out to different members of Ringer Park community.

via e-mail

New regulations on MA rescue organizations and shelters

via email from Baby's foster family

The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) announced an emergency order today to strengthen the regulations pertaining to animals brought into the Commonwealth from other states. . . . to prevent rescue organizations, shelters and other groups from bringing animals into the state that pose risks to human and animal health (Department of Agricultural Resources Press Release, May 26, 2005).

MDAR also provides information about compliance and an online registration form for rescue organizations and shelters.

The Canine Coalition, "Fighting for the Right to Rescue," opposes the new restrictions.

Last year around this time, the National Animal Interest Alliance (NAIA) issued a press release about an unnamed Massachusetts animal shelter bringing a rabid puppy into the state from Puerto Rico. I spent a month researching the incident, which was not publicized by MDAR, and posted the results of my research on July 2, 2004.

Also around this time last year, NAIA, along with the Massachusetts Federation of Dog Clubs and Responsible Dog Owners (MASSFED) and the American Kennel Club (AKC), succeeded in defeating legislation, which would have imposed restrictions on breeders of dogs and cats. As far as I could tell, breeders' groups opposed the legislation not out of their concern for the welfare of their animals but out of concern for the business interests of their members.

The NAIA has scored a victory in getting the emergency order passed. MASSFED also supports the new regulations. The AKC has not yet put anything about the emergency order on their website.

A good way to gage whether or not a breeder is responsible is whether or not she is active in breed rescue. I'd like to know what breeder organizations like the AKC, MASSFED and NAIA are doing to help the animal rescue organizations and shelters comply with the requirements of the new emergency order.

Here is a suggestion. Breeders, you clearly have the facilities to temporarily accomodate additional animals: When you are not raising a litter, why not donate your facilities to a shelter or rescue for the 48-hour isolation period required for every animal coming into Massachusetts for adoption?

Murphy gets a ticket

...not Mr. Murphy (or Ms. Murphy for that matter), but Murphy, a golden retriever who was walking with his owner in Newton Centre. Murphy did not have a leash.

Seems you don't have to be human to be subject to the laws of Newton, MA.

Continue reading "Murphy gets a ticket"

Bark & Bath Charity Dog Wash

LaundroMutt, Cambridge's DIY dog wash, in cooperation with Polka Dog Bakery in the South End is sponsoring a Charity Dog Wash to benefit the Trust for Public Land at Hotel Marlowe, adjacent to the CambridgeSide Galleria Mall, in Cambridge, Saturday, July 9th, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Wash and dry service is being provided by LaundroMutt for a $10 donation, which also allows you to make your own doggie sundae compliments of Polka Dog Bakery. People treats courtesy of Hotel Marlowe.

I've been racking my brain trying to figure out why dog owners in particular would want to support the Trust For Public Land. Lots of dog owners are conservationists, but given the "no dogs" policy on many conservation lands, it behooves us to choose carefully where we give our charity dollars.

In the Somerville Dog Owners Group Forum MrGranby posted a link to an excellent article, "Creating dog parks - without rancor," by Peter Harnik and Cerise Bridges. Peter Harnik is director of the Trust for Public Land's Center for City Park Excellence. Cerise Bridges is a former researcher for the center.

So there is some consideration for dog friendly urban parks at TPL!

Also, the charity dog wash is a good excuse to check out Hotel Marlowe, a dog-friendly hotel in Cambridge.

Privatization of Public Open Space

I'm all for the involvement of private citizens in the stewardship of neighborhood parks. A park with an active "friends" group is a park that is safer and cleaner than a park in which neighbors do not take an active stewardship role. A fantastic local example is the Foss Park Neighborhood Association (FPNA), which has been actively working with both City and State representatives to improve (dog-friendly) Saxton J. Foss Park on Broadway and McGrath Highway. FPNA was featured last month in an article in the Somerville Journal, "Foss Park gaining popularity."

[T]he group has drawn the support of State Rep. Carl Sciortino, D-Somerville, and of the staff of State Sen. Charlie Shannon, D-Winchester, who died in April, in getting the DCR to finally face Foss Park problems. More recently, State Sen. Jarrett Barrios, D-Cambridge, has also joined forces with the neighbors. . . .

The neighborhood association met last week with Patrick Flynn, director of Urban Parks and Recreation for the DCR, to share 24 issues they would like the state to address. . . .

Bill Roche, the Ward 1 alderman, said the neighborhood association is doing great work and should expect to see a safer, more beautiful space over time.

Another option for Friends groups frustrated by a lack of public resources and governmental support is to assume responsibility for neighborhood parks. The Boston Globe ran an article on June 17, "Neighbors go green, raising cash for parks," about parks friends groups in Boston, among them the Friends of Hayes Park:

Joe Park and his wife formed the Friends of Hayes Park, whose members devote 1,400 hours a year to mowing lawns, tending roses, and maintaining playground equipment by agreement with the city. . . .

[T]he Friends of Hayes Park raise $15,000 to $25,000 annually through fund-raisers and donations. They squirrel away whatever they can for an endowment fund.

"The theory was that one day, I would be able to retire from this fund-raising business and that the interest that we generated from these fund-raisers would in essence pay for the maintenance of the park," he said. "Well, that hasn't happened yet. What we're finding is obviously, as we get older, more things can go wrong, [or] just have to be maintained."

Both the Foss Park Neighborhood Association in Somerville and the Friends of Hayes Park in Boston are demonstrating great civic responsibility, but, as every good civics student knows, responsibilities do not guarantee rights. There is a reason that the government is responsible for the open spaces which are the citizens' right. Even communities that do not have private resources to retain a gardener for their neighborhood parks have a right to safe and well-maintained open spaces. I am deeply concerned about the attitude of Boston Mayor Thomas Menino that neighborhood organizations should take an increasing role in maintaining parks. It is reckless for the government to delegate back to the public the very responsibilities for which governments were created in the first place.

Continue reading "Privatization of Public Open Space"

Field Trip: Brookline Avenue Playground

Strummer had the pleasure this morning of making the acquaintance of several Brookline dogs, who welcomed her at the Brookline Avenue Playground during off-leash hours.

One of twelve parks in the Town of Brookline Green Dog Pilot Program, the Brookline Avenue Playground has off-leash hours from dawn to 1:00 pm, April through November, and from dawn to dusk, December through March. At the Annual Town Meeting on May 25, 2005, the Town of Brookline voted to extend the Green Dog Pilot Program to June 30, 2006 (Article 17 of the Town Warrant).

When we arrived at the "playground" at 10:00 this morning, a soccer game was ending. Also, during off-leash hours, a volley-ball game was played. It seems that, though off-leash recreation is not allowed during hours that are not designated for off-leash recreation, other kinds of recreation are allowed during hours that are designated for off-leash recreation. At almost four acres, however, the Brookline Avenue Playground was able to accommodate this mixed usage this morning.

Austin, Benny, Buddy, Ethan, Murphy, Otis, Samson: Strummer hopes to be able to repay your hospitality some day soon!

DoggieFest Boston

Off-leash recreation at Bunker Hill Community College. Free for dogs. Adults $15.00; Children (8 yrs. and under) $8. One day only: Saturday, August 06, 2005, 10.00 am - 5.00 pm. Rain Date: August 13, 2005.

DoggieFest Boston will feature four fully enclosed leash-free playgrounds:

• Puppy Playground - for dogs less than 6 months
• Small Dog Playground - for dogs less than 30 pounds
• Medium Dog Playground - for dogs weighing between 30-59 pounds
• Large Dog Playground - for dogs weighing over 60 pounds

UPDATE 01 August 2005: I received additional information today from info at doggiefest dot com.

The following rescue organizations will be present at Doggiefest: Rhodesian Ridgeback Rescue, Greyhounds of Amercia, Colonial Basset Hound Rescue, Underdog RESQ. The organizers are waiting to hear back from others and encourage nonprofit organizations that would like to participate to e-mail info at doggiefest dot com as soon as possible. There is no charge for non-profit sponsors to have a booth at Doggiefest Boston. All non-profit organizations present at Doggiefest Boston are eligible to receive a donation from the proceeds from the admission fees. The amount of the donations will be announced and the donations will be presented at Doggiefest Boston immediately following the Waggin' Wear Adopt-a-Dog Fashion Show.

I have also been informed that

Certain vendors have elected to charge a nominal fee to attendees to offset their cost. However, the vast majority of activities at Doggiefest Boston are offered for free. You can enjoy a great day without spending any money once you get into Doggiefest Boston or you can elect to receive personalized instruction and use the dog agility course for $5.

The founders of Doggiefest Boston promote the event as a way "to address their concern with the lack of available leash-free park space and other opportunities to socialize their dogs." Lots of other dog owners who share this concern are working with our local govenrments to redress the lack of off-leash recreational opportunities in public open space. If you can afford to spend $15 to take your dog to DoggieFest Boston to enjoy off-leash recreation for one day, why not donate $15 dollars as well to a local dog owners group that is working for safe and legal options for off-leash recreation in our communities? Why not donate $15 to the City of Somerville's Somerville Unleashed fund?

Pet Rock

Last year, when I took Strummer to pet rock, she "thought she had died and gone to doggie heaven."

On Sunday, September 11, we're looking forward to seeing our friends, Greyhound Welfare and Poodle Rescue of New England at Pet Rock at Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester. Strummer's especially looking forward to seeing her friend from the Educated Ferret Association...

MSPCA-Angell Walk For Animals - Saturday, September 10

It's not too late to support MSPCA-Angell by joining the Somerville Dog Owners Group in the Walk for Animals, tomorrow, Saturday, September 10, 2005. There are two ways that you can help:

• Join our team by registering on our team page
• Sponsor our team by making a donation on our team page

Somerville dogs and their friends will enjoy a leisurely one-and-a-half mile stroll around Boston Common in the Walk for Animals. Registration begins at 10:30 a.m. and the walk begins at noon. There will be other fun activites during the day, too:

• American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen demonstrations and testing

  When I make hotel reservations, I love to be able to say that my dog is a certified AKC Canine Good Citizen. Get your dog's Canine Good Citizen certification Saturday at the Walk for Animals!

• Canine Agility Demonstrations
• Boston Police K-9 Demonstration

som|dog team members are meeting Saturday morning at 10:00 in "the pit" outside the Harvard Square T Station and will be taking the T to the Walk for Animals. We will rendezvous at 11:00 in Boston Common at the entrance to the parking garage (at the corner of Beacon Street and Charles Street).

team som|dog

...and, slumming with team som|dog, here's Nelson! An honorary Somerville dog, Nelson lives in Cambridge.

Prospero (husky mix), Penn (greyhound), Strummer (standard poodle) and Nelson (golden retriever), walked with their human companions in the 25th Annual MSPCA-Angell Walk for Animals, Saturday, September 10, 2005 in Boston Common. We raised $360 to benefit the programs and services of MSPCA-Angell!

Penn is an honorary Somerville dog, too. He was recently rescued from the race track by Greyhound Welfare and is being fostered in Somerville.

Prospero proved himself to be a natural in the canine agility ring. The Metro South MSPCA Animal Care and Adoption Center in Brockton offered agility demonstrations and try-outs.

"The MSPCA encourages agility training for nearly any breed of dog over the age of one. Agility training promotes bonding, is a great socialization activity, and enhances your dog's obedience training."

The tunnel obstacle was one of many occasions when Prospero made us proud...

'Tis the season, 2005

Last year between Thanksgiving and Christmas, pet-columnist, Gina Spadafori, blogged a new reason every day not to give a puppy as a gift.

Here on the somerville dog weblog, I gave holiday shoppers this little thought experiment: "Imagine a puppy with a bow around its neck on Christmas morning. Now, imagine it's President's Day: Where is the puppy? Where is the person who got the puppy as a gift? How about on the fourth of July? Where is the dog next Christmas?"

If you're thinking of giving someone a puppy as a present, please use your imagination and think of something else.

That being said, if you're thinking about bringing a member of the species canis familiaris into the family, December in Boston is a great time to start doing research. This year, the annual Bay Colony Cluster Dog Show—a series of shows presented by five Boston area AKC dog clubs: Eastern Dog Club, Ladies' Dog Club, Middlesex County Kennel Club, Concord Dog Training Club and the Yankee Golden Retriever Club—runs from Thursday, December 8, through, Sunday, December 11, at the Bayside Expo.

Check out the family-oriented dog demonstrations Saturday and Sunday from 11:30a-1:30p: Northeast Search and Rescue and the Department of Homeland Security Beagle Brigade will demonstrate their "dogs on the job" skills.

Local breed rescue organizations will celebrate dogs with a new "leash on life" in the "rescue parade."

Agility trials hosted by the Yankee Golden Retriever Club run all four days (until 2 p.m. only on Saturday and Sunday).

And if you're shopping for the dogs and dog lovers on your list, check out 100 concession booths displaying every type of "doggy bling-bling" imaginable: hand-knitted sweaters, specialty t-shirts and hats, grooming supplies, exercise equipment, digital photography, gourmet treats, handmade toys, safety products, bedding, custom clay pottery, fine jewelry and dog antiques.

Download the Press Release (.doc file).

Dog-Friendly New Years Eve Party

via e-mail

WOOF!

2006 is the "Year of the Dog"

Laundromutt invites you to celebrate with them at their ?Dogs Gone Wild? event at Hotel Marlowe...bring your pet to a one of a kind New Year?s Celebration where man?s best friend is our best friend...

Come.

...join us December 31st for a night of fun, libations, merriment, and delight in the sophisticated and hip Hotel Marlowe from 8pm-1am...

Sit.

...feast on a sampling of tasty appetizers from Bambara Restaurant, and other traditional new years fare in the comfort of Hotel Marlowe?s private setting. Package includes a midnight Champagne Toast, "Party Animal" Party favors, Raffles and Prizes plus special "Doggie Bag" for pet and owner...

$50.00 per person

Stay.

...spectacular rate of $99.00 for deluxe overnight accommodation and complimentary wine hour from 5?6pm...

Rollover.

...and join us for hearty breakfast in Bambara Restaurant for some much needed "Hair of the Dog." Enjoy a complimentary Bloody Mary or Mimosa with purchase of any entree

For Reservations/Tickets contact Belinda at 617-395-2527 or e-mail belinda.mazarello at hotelmarlowe.com by December 26, 2005

***Package does not include alcoholic beverages or applicable taxes

***Overnight rate is for December 31, 2005, only and is subject to availability. Rate is exclusive to guests of "Dog Gone Wild" event. Room rate does not include applicable taxes

LaundroMutt, Inc.
489 Concord Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02138b
617-864-9274
http://www.laundromutt.com

Local History

War is declared on the canine species in New-York, and they being strangers, and not having formed alliances for self-defense, but on the contrary, distressed and friendless may have been exposed not only to war, but to pestilence and famine also (George Washington to William Grayson [his assistant secretary and aide-de-camp during the American Revolution], August 22, 1875, quoted by Mark Derr in A Dog's History of America, p. 74).

Washington was concerned about foxhounds he had "adopted" from the Marquis de Lafayette that were in the care of John Quincy Adams, who had brought the dogs to New York from Europe.

Washington's dogs were safe at home at Mount Vernon when he was supervising the construction of an earthenwork forts at what is now Fort Washington Park, located on Waverly Street in Cambridge. Today the park is one of four in the City of Cambridge where dogs are allowed off-leash.

Combining historical considerations with consideration for the people who live in Cambridge today, the Cambridge Historical Commission has approved the temporary installation of fencing that will make the legal off-leash recreation area a safe area for off-leash recreation. The new fencing is not historically accurate; therefore with its approval of the temporary fencing, the Commission has stipulated that, within five years, the City must come up with a more harmonic alternative.

"A dog's life is not very long," said Commission member Jo Solet. "And if we put off putting up the fence, it really is a sacrifice for the dogs and the people [who own them]."

The creative compormise was reported in the Cambridge Chronicle on January 12.

via the Cambridge Dog Owners Group (CDOG)

Continue reading "Local History"

Friends of Peters Park submits Boston's first Dog Recreation Space Application

In the Bostondogs Yahoo! group the Friends of Peters Park anounced today that they have submitted the first Dog Recreation Space (DRS) application, in accordance with the DRS ordinance that Mayor Menino approved over a year ago.

Especially for those who worked tirelessly for many years to lobby for, create, and ultimately ensure enactment of a Dog Recreation Space ordinance for the City of Boston, I thought that this interest group would be pleased to know that the first formal submission under the new ordinance guidelines has been made by the Friends of Peters Park in Boston's South End....

This proposal is a testament to the dedication and persistence of the Friends of Peters Park in crafting a DRS application that, in my opinion, not only meets both the letter and spirit of the ordinance, but also clearly establishes a necessary standard by which other submissions can be both fashioned and judged. Kudos to the Friends of Peters Park for their hard work, forbearance and for leading the way in Boston.

The Friends of Peters Park have made their application available as a .pdf file.

Congratulations Friends of Peters Park!

Dog Recreation Space for Dorchester

UPDATE 1 January 2007: In addition to their Yahoo! group, RoDogRun has a website at www.rodogrun.org/.

Citing benefits for park safety and park stewardship, not to mention an improved sense of community, the Ronan Park Dog Run Group is preparing to submit a Dog Recreation Space proposal to the City of Boston Parks and Recreation Department, according to an article that ran in the Dorchester Reporter, today ("Pooch-lovers push for Ronan Park paradise," by Demetra Chornovas).

The Friends of Ronan Park, a park stewardship group, welcomes the inclusion of a dog run as an improvement that will benefit all users.

Boston Mayor Menino signed the Dog Recreation Space (DRS) Ordinance in January 2005. The Friends of Peters Park submitted the first DRS application in January 2006.

Boston's dog-friendly South End

Realtors have begun telling property owners they must make their buildings and apartment rentals more hospitable to the growing number of dog owners,

according to an article about the South End by Cristina Silva in the Boston Globe yesterday ("Lapping up luxuries").

Boston.com also has a slideshow featuring some of the dogs and the dog-friendly amenities of the South End, including the dog park at Peters Park, Tremont 647, which offers a doggie lunch on the patio every Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m., and Polka Dog Bakery.

via Bostondogs

Moms want a dog park in Charlestown

I received an e-mail today from someone who is interested in an off-leash recreational area in Paul Revere Park in Charlestown. A google search found this article in the The Charlestown Bridge from June 15, 2006:

Dog run proposed for Paul Revere Park by Dan Murphy

The Charlestown Mothers Association recently proposed an enclosed dog run for Paul Revere Park, which would allow children and pet owners to harmoniously coexist in the space.

“I understand the need to let a dog run off the leash, and no law is going to stop it,” said Melissa McGaughey, a CMA member and dog owner. “Dogs aren’t going anywhere, so let’s find a solution that works for every body.

McGaughey and Ken Stone, president of the Friends of City Square Park, drafted a petition to build a gated, fenced-in dog run near the retaining wall at the park. They plan to submit the petition to the Department of Conversation and Recreation, which has jurisdiction over the park, once they have obtained enough signatures in support of the project.

The need for a dog run in Charlestown is now greater than ever, said McGaughey, since the Monument is presently not available to dog owners because of ongoing renovations. And dog runs are becoming more commonplace in and around Boston: Somerville and the South End both have dog runs, she said.

While some insist that dog owners sometimes neglect to pick up after their pets and free-roaming dogs can prove to be a nuisance for families hoping to enjoy a picnic at the park, McGaughey believes that dogs actually can make Paul Revere Park a safer place.

“If you have dogs around, crime goes down,” she said.

Stone, meanwhile, thinks having a place in the park designated specifically for dogs would be the best possible solution for everyone.

“I think it’s a win-win situation because a lot of dog owners go down there,” he said. “It’s a great place to congregate and exercise dogs. It’s a great place for everyone to enjoy a large, open space.”

If you are interested in signing the petition in favor of building a dog run at Paul Revere Park, Melissa McGaughey can be reached via email at brsmmlg@comcast.net.

Second Annual Bark n’ Bath Charity Dog Wash

cross-posted on the som|dog calendar

Once again LaundroMutt, Cambridge's DIY dog wash, in cooperation with Polka Dog Bakery in the South End, is sponsoring a Charity Dog Wash to benefit the Trust for Public Land at Hotel Marlowe, adjacent to the CambridgeSide Galleria Mall, in Cambridge, Saturday, July 15, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For $10, your dog gets a full service wash and dry from the professionals at Laundromutt, followed by make-your-own doggie sundaes courtesy of Polka Dog Bakery!

The event is also sponsored by KISS 108 FM, Progressive Talk AM 1200, AnimalAttraction.com, & Reflection Films.

Pet Rock Fest Eight

Pet Rock Fest Eight is scheduled for Sept. 10 at Quinsigamond Community College, 670 West Boylston St. in Worcester, MA from noon to 5 p.m. Tickets are $12 at the gate; a coupon for $2 off admission is available from the Pet Rock website.

Irish Rock Animal Shelter Benefit

The Gobshites, acousticelticore band beloved to Harpoon Brewery's Brewstock and those who celebrated the summer birthday of the owner of Somerville dogs, Granby and Chloe, are playing a pet-friendly show Saturday, September 9, to benefit the Mansfield Animal Shelter: the 11th Annual Celebration of Animals.

The 11th Annual Celebration of Animals takes place from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Saturday, September 9, in the South Common, South Main Street, Mansfield, MA (map). Acousiticelticore by the Gobshites from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Leashed dogs welcome!

September 2006 is Responsible Dog Owners Month

I recieved an e-mail from State Representative Denise Provost (Twenty-seventh Middlesex) about a dog-friendly event at the State House on the occasion of the proclamation of September 2006 as Responsible Dog Owner's Month in Massachusetts:

Today, September 21st, please join Representative Jennifer M. Callahan (Eighteenth Worcester), the MSPCA, AKC Chapter Members, responsible dog owners and their dogs as we proclaim September to be:

"Responsible Dog Owner's Month"

If you have a dog that is friendly and can handle the excitement of a press event with other dogs, you are both welcome to join us!

Thursday, September 21
1PM
State House steps (Beacon Street)

In honor of Governor Mitt Romney declaring September 2006 "Responsible Dog Owner's Month, " Representative Jennifer Callahan will be presenting the Governor's proclamation. Dozens of dogs and their owners will be gathered for the event. The MSPCA will be highlighting dogs that are available for adoption. Nationwide, throughout the month of September, the AKC holds events to educate the public on how to responsibly care for their dog. This is the first time the State of Massachusetts has declared "Responsible Dog Owner's Month."

Any questions, please contact Colleen in Representative Callahan's Office at 617-722-2130 or Rep.JenniferCallahan (at) hou.state.ma.us.

Massachusetts dog owner groups have been holding special events in celebration of Responsible Dog Ownership all month. The New England Dog Training Club is holding a "Meet-the-Breeds" event Saturday afternoon, September 30, 2006, from 2:00 p.m - 4:00 p.m. at the Cambridge Armory, 450 Concord Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138.

To all the reponsible dog owners in Somerville and all of Massachusetts, thank you, and have a happy Responsible Dog Owner's Month in September 2006!

Prison Pups Screenings

See Prison Pups, a documentary about the Concord Farm prison's training program for service dogs, tomorrow, Saturday, November 4, at the Museum of Fine Arts!

via e-mail

Filmmaker Alice Bouvrie's documentary, PRISON PUPS won the Best Documentary Award at the Berks County Film Festival in Reading, PA! (See below) Here are the upcoming screenings for PRISON PUPS. We hope you can come to one of them!

Produced in association with the Filmmaker-In-Residence Lab at WGBH, Boston

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
Saturday Nov 4, 2006 at 2:40pm
Remis Auditorium, 465 Huntington Ave, Boston
(617) 369-3306 Tickets will go on sale mid-October

Studio Cinema, Belmont, MA
Monday, Nov. 13, 2006 at 7:30pm
376 Trapelo Road, Belmont, MA (617-484-1706)

Berks County Film Festival, Reading, Pennsylvania
Saturday Nov. 11 at 12:00pm
Prison Pups is the "Best Documentary" winner!
The Abraham Lincoln (A Wyndham Historic Hotel) The Washington Room
(www.berkscountyfilmfestival.com)

Asheville Film Festival, Asheville, N.C
Saturday, Nov. 11 at 11:00AM
Asheville Community Theater, 35 E. Walnut Street, Asheville (828-254-1320)

Please check out the website for photos and more information:
www.mineralkingproductions.com

Les Masterson has an article about the film in the Arlington Advocate this week: "Training program assists dogs, inmates."

Toast to a fenced dog run in Ronan Park (Dorchester)

RoDogRun is sponsoring their first fundraiser to build a fenced dog run in Ronan Park, located on historic Meetinghouse Hill in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston.

Make a toast to the dogs, Saturday, December 2, 2006, 5-8pm at the Blarney Stone, 1505 Dorchester Avenue, Dorchester (2 blocks from the Fields Corner T Station).

$20 cover includes appetizers and a donation to help build a fenced dog run in Ronan Park.

There will be raffle prizes and dog-friendly gift bags.

RSVP by November 28.
The Blarney Stone welcomes all humans. Please make other arrangements for your canine companions.

Public Meeting to discuss off-leash recreation at Callahan State Park

Callahan State Park is an 820-acre park located in Northwest Framingham. Park uses come from many different cities and towns to exercise and socialize their dogs off-leash there.

The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) will hold a public meeting to discuss off-leash recreation at Callahan State Park, Tuesday evening, December 5, at 7:00 in the Lower Level Meeting Room in Framingham Town Hall, 150 Concord Street, Framingham, MA (directions).

Please come to the public meeting and support the efforts of Callahan park users to work with the community and with the DCR for options that serve the needs of all Callahan park users and neighbors.

The DCR is in the process of revising park regulations. Massachusetts dog owner groups are concerned that the DCR will establish a blanket policy requiring that dogs be on leash on DCR properties. We are asking that the DCR include in the regulations a provision for off-leash recreation in designated areas.

Dog owners who enjoy off-leash recreation (or would like to be able to do so legally) at DCR parks—e.g. Sheep Fold in the Middlesex Fells Reservation—must act now to ensure that the DCR includes provisions for off-leash recreation in the new park regulations. This concerns us intimately in Somerville: 60% of public open space in our City is maintained by the DCR (Alewife Brook Reservation [Dilboy Field], Draw Seven Park, Foss Park, Mystic River Parkland, and Shore Drive Parkland).

Summary of Callahan State Park (Framingham) Meeting

Five Somerville dog owners were among over 150 people who attended a public meeting held by the Department of Conservation and Recreation in Framingham, MA about off-leash recreation at Callahan State Park

The turnout was impressive and largely dog-friendly, favoring Callahan State Park being maintained as an off-leash park. The Callahan Canine Owners Association did a great job of getting people to attend the meeting. People entering the meeting room were offered red pieces of paper that read "Keep the trails at Callahan State Park open to off-leash dogs." A few people had "My Dog Votes" signs.

Also in attendance were State Representative Tom Sannicandro (Seventh Middlesex, consisting of the town of Ashland, and precincts 8, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16 and 18, of the town of Framingham, both in the county of Middlesex) and State Representative-elect Pam Richardson (Second Middlesex and Norfolk, consisting of Ashland, Framingham, Holliston, Hopkinton and Natick, precincts 1 to 5, inclusive, and 8, in the county of Middlesex; Franklin, precincts 1 and 5 to 8, inclusive, and Medway, in the county of Norfolk).

At the meeting the DCR was represented by Callahan State Park Supervisor, John Dwinell; Chief of the Bureau of Recreation, Gary Briere; and Regional Director, Susan Hamilton. The DCR did a good job of facilitating audience response. They said that the draft proposal would be put up on the web at www.massparks.org (which redirects to the DCR main page), and that they would continue to accept written comments into February.

Dwinell presented the draft proposal of the new leash restrictions at Callahan Park explaining that the DCR's goals in drafting the new policy were to protect the perimeter of the park and the abutters' properties and to maintain a multi-use park. In its draft proposal, the DCR has tried to create two loops of trails, one accessible from the South Entrance and one accessible from the North Entrance, where dogs would have to be on leash, ostensibly to afford users without dogs an improved park experience.

Dwinell confirmed that the DCR has received complaints and that they have banned [individual] dogs from Callahan State Park.

During Dwinell's presentation, there was a lot of unruliness in the audience—people interrupting the presentation to comment on flaws in the proposal and other people in turn replying about the merits of the interruptions. Indeed Dwinell had to go over the presentation a second time. Members of the audience felt that the DCR was not entirely familiar with the draft proposal.

Gary Briere, Chief, Bureau of Recreation, facilitated the greater part of the meeting, dedicated to discussion, and, for the most part, the audience was respectful and spoke in turn for the remainder of the meeting.

Briere said that, according to DCR regulations, dogs are not allowed on properties except under conditions set by the Director. There are places where the DCR does not want dogs, and there are other places where it is taken for granted that people will have their dogs off-leash. Callahan State Park, he said, is the most dog-friendly park in the park system. It the only park in the system where dogs are allowed off-leash on the entire property. The Park was all off-leash until this summer. Now it is all on-leash: the proposed policy would relax the leash restrictions at Callahan. He also clarified that whereas changes to regulations require a public process, changes to policies do not.

A park user observed that a brown board at the south entrance to the park establishes a policy of voice control over pets at the park.

Continue reading "Summary of Callahan State Park (Framingham) Meeting"

Responsibility and Off-Leash Recreation

Tyler B. Reed, writing for the Framingham TAB, has a very balanced article about responsible dog-owner behavior as the critical ingredient for multi-use parks that permit off-leash recreation: "Teaching your dog to listen" (December 14, 2006). For his article, Reed interviews pet professionals whose voices were noticeably absent from the discussion about off-leash recreation at Callahan State Park at a public meeting in Framingham earlier this month.

Darlene Arden, a Framingham resident and member of the Dog Writers’ Association of America, Inc., observes that "the people who are really responsible with their dogs are suffering." She articulates a point-of-view that many responsible dog owners and responsible dog owner advocates share:

I love the idea of people out exercising with their dogs and having fun. [. . .] I have no problems with having areas where dogs can go on-leash and off-leash, but I want everybody safe.

Reed also speaks with Bryna Davidow, a trainer and owner of Framingham-based Must Love Dogs.

Davidow also supports off-leash recreation but is realistic about the necessary skills that dog owners must master before responsibly allowing their dogs off-leash in public open space.

It's certainly very scary when a dog is running up to a person who doesn't like dogs," she said. "I think being off-leash in a place where other dogs are also off-leash and having the dogs learn to play appropriately is a fabulous experience.

Is there a license that municipalities could use to reasonably assure that people have mastered the skills and the rules to recreate with their pets off-leash in public open space? In fact, there is. Arden points to the American Kennel Club's Canine Good Citizen certification program. Canine Good Citizen (CGC) certification has two requirements: 1) the owner must sign the Responsible Dog Owners Pledge, and 2), the dog, working in a team with his owner, must pass a test that covers ten skills that are necessary for dogs and their owners as upstanding members of their communities.

The Charles River Dog Training Club (CRDTC) is offering the Canine Good Citizen Test tomorrow evening, December 18, from 6:45 to 7:30 at University of Massachusetts Field Station, located at 240 Beaver Street in Waltham, MA. The CRDTC will offer CGC testing again on March 26, 2007 and May 19, 2007.

What makes dog parks successful?

In an article that ran in the Brookline Tab on November 30, 2006, Correspondent Lara Farrar contributed a story about off-leash hours at Winthrop Park, in which she spoke with people from neighboring communities about successful off-leash recreation programs.

Ward Three Alderman, Thomas Taylor, commented very graciously about the partnership of the City of Somerville and the Somerville Dog Owners Group.

     Thomas Taylor is an alderman in Somerville who advocated for the city's first dog park. He said what has made a big difference is the Somerville Dog Owners Group, an independent group that has rallied for off-leash spaces, even raising money to fund the projects.

     "If you can create a group, that could make a big difference," he said.

Thanks, Alderman Taylor. Somerville's Ward Three, the only Ward with an Off-Leash Recreational Area, gets my vote as the Best Ward in the City!

Community Meeting about Boston Common off-leash hours

BostonDOG is holding a Community Meeting tonight about the suspension of Boston Common off-leash hours until 2008. The meeting is at 7:00 p.m. at Hill House, 127 Mt. Vernon St.

The Boston Parks and Recreation Department in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services, Beacon Hill Civic Association and Councilor Michael Ross’s office is meeting with interested groups and organizations to discuss events, the off-leash dog area, and related issues on January 23, 2007, at the Hill House at 7 p.m. For more information, please see the Boston Parks Department's post on the Boston Dog Owners Group Forum.