somerville dog: a weblog

Update 15 January 2007: The name of the person who originally provided the story to the Medford Transcript has been changed in response to threats and harassment. In the interest of consistency, the name of the author of the letter to the editor dated February 24 has also been changed. Also of note: all materials related to this incident have been deleted from the online archives of the Medford Transcript.

The Medford Transcript ran a story on February 10 about an incident that occurred at Sheepfold on January 30. John Smith told reporter Jesse Kawa that his four year old son was bitten by a dog. Smith did not see the incident because he was pulling his son on a sled behind him, and Smith found no bite marks.

Massachusetts State Police Spokeswoman Lt. Sharon Costine said

as the weather begins to improve the state police will be starting up its mounted unit again. She said hopefully, having officers out there will help combat some of these issues and produce a safer environment for everyone that visits the area.

In the same edition the Transcript printed a letter from Smith's wife, Jane: "Dog owners need to leash their pets." Like her husband, Jane Smith did not witness the incident (she had not accompanied him to the Fells with their son).

In fact, the Transcript neglected to interview anyone who witnessed the incident. The witnesses, incidentally, were the people who were enjoying off-leash recreation at Sheepfold that day.

A letter from dog owner and witness, Jill Jones, was printed in the Transcript on February 24 ("Set the record straight: Dog didn't bite child at the Sheep Fold").

According to Jones,

Mr. Smith pulled his 4-year-old son face-down on his sled through a crowd of dogs and their owners. . . .

Maybe Mr. Smith's son doesn't like dogs or was disconcerted by the attention of a few dogs at once, because he whined - not screamed - to his father that he wanted to go home. I was standing very close to this scene and was watching the events unfold and at no time did any dog bite this boy. The boy didn't scream or cry at all.

Mr. Smith . . . . started swearing and hollering and seemed to randomly single out a dog as the supposed culprit (because Mr. Smith had his back to all the dogs that were near his son) and started screaming that this dog had bitten his son.

He asked whose dog it was and a gentleman answered that the dog in question was his. Mr. Smith began shouting, "Your f---ing dog bit my son!"

The owner of the dog calmly stated that his dog did not bite Mr. Smith's son and asked him to calm down. Another man intervened and reminded Mr. Smith that it was a family place because of Mr. Smith's liberal stream of obscenities and because he appeared as though he would become violent at any minute. . . .

Mr. Smith did not examine his son for injuries. He didn't seek medical attention for his son, nor did he use a cell phone to contact the police. . . . What Mr. Smith chose to do . . . . was to sled with his son for about an hour, dogs and all.

In their own editorial on the issue, the Transcript wastes no time calling families who enjoy off-leash recreation at Sheepfold scofflaws. They also concede that Medford

has no specific place where dog owners can go to let their pets run without a leash. This may be a good time to open a discussion about providing some sort of enclosure or open space specifically designated for pet owners, so that everyone can enjoy the great outdoors.

In the February 10 story the Transcript also reports that Rep. Carl Sciortino, D-Somerville, said

it would be great if areas like the Sheep Fold could have various areas designated for dog walking and others for families.

Sciortino represents Somerville's ward four (precincts one and two) and ward seven (all precincts).

I take issue with the intimation that families with dogs are somehow not families, but the comment is not a direct quote and Sciortino's heart is in the right place. Families do need spaces where dogs are not allowed for activites that do not include dogs; families also need safe and legal spaces for off-leash recreation.

Please take this opportunity to contact your Massachusetts representatives about the need for options that that serve the many and diverse recreational needs of Massachusetts residents in parks like the Middlesex Fells that are managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation. DCR parks (Dilboy Field, Draw Seven, Foss Park, Mystic River Parkland and Shore Drive Parkland) account for more than sixty-percent of open space in Somerville. It is high time that the State provide options that serve the recreational needs of all Somerville families.