somerville dog: a weblog

“Let kids have two dogs and a cat,” prescribes Dr. Joel V. Weinstock, Director of gastroenterology and hepatology at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. According to Weinstock, pets expose kids to "intestinal worms that can promote a healthy immune system."

Weinstock's research is featured in a New York Times Personal Health Article this week, "Babies Know: A Little Dirt Is Good for You," by Jane E. Brody. The article explores recent research that is

concluding that organisms like the millions of bacteria, viruses and especially worms that enter the body along with “dirt” spur the development of a healthy immune system. Several continuing studies suggest that worms may help to redirect an immune system that has gone awry and resulted in autoimmune disorders, allergies and asthma.

It's to late for us: Marshall already has allergies that preclude our having a cat. As for a second dog: Having a two-year-old can be a tricky time to introduce a new dog in the family.

Thanks, Steve, for sharing this article!

Posted by Michèle at 10:14 PM
Categories: And Baby Makes Four, Your Health
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This is a video I took at the Nunziato Off-leash Recreational area on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Monday, January 19.

I love living with my dog in Somerville. Because Somerville offers safe and legal opportunities for people to come together and share our mutual interest in our dogs, Somerville has a strong community of dog owners. Because Somerville has a strong community of dog owners, dog owners feel like we are a part of the larger community.

In some other towns, people who own dogs feel like second-rate citizens. The following are actual quotes from dog owners who live in other Massachusetts cities and towns:

# # #

I have found the attitudes of the people who posess authority so disturbing, the loathing and discust which they have no hesitation to express in their condemnation of dog owners has left me utterly deflated.

# # #

We are treated dismissively by certain town officials, and by many in the public.

# # #

Employees “warned” dog owners in a very menacing way: they drove their trucks right onto the field, close to dogs and children. Certainly makes dog owners feel like criminals.

# # #

Posted by Michèle at 11:20 PM
Categories: And Baby Makes Four, Off-Leash Recreational Areas—i.e. "Dog Parks", Somerville, Somerville Dogs, Strummer
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I want to thank everyone who was at the Nunziato off-leash recreational area this morning for being such a great community of park users while Strummer and I were there with my twenty-two-month-old daughter Kate.

Strummer and I don't get to visit the OLRA very often since Kate was born almost two years ago. Today we were walking by on our way to Capone's and I couldn't resist the sight of so many people with their dogs playing in the snow.

I entered the Putnam Street "airlock" with Strummer and Kate, and I called into the OLRA to ask if anyone was concerned about my bringing my daughter in. Everyone said to come on in, so we did. Kate (not very mobile in her snowsuit) hung out with me by the picnic tables, while Strummer played with the dogs.

The community of dog owners really came through for me when Strummer got into a fight with Maggie.

Special thanks to the owner of the dog that Strummer got into a fight with. When I asked him if his dog's rabies vaccination was up-to-date, he assured me that it was and then gave me his name and phone number in case I needed to follow up with him.

Thanks, too, to the dog owner who got Kate out of the way of the gate to let other people enter with their dogs while I was getting the other dog owner's contact information. It's great to see an adult being an adult with someone else's kid.

The gentleman apologized to me for picking up my child, but there was no need: I am grateful that he was able to help me without worrying about asking me if it was okay first. He then thanked me for calling out to everyone when I entered with a child.

To some degree, I enabled him to help me, because I asked for permission from the community to bring Kate into the OLRA.

It was one of the best social experiences I've ever had. The people at the Nunziato OLRA are the best!

Posted by Michèle at 10:15 PM
Categories: And Baby Makes Four, Off-Leash Recreational Areas—i.e. "Dog Parks", Safety Around Dogs, Somerville, Strummer
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via FellsDOG

My daughter, Kate, will turn one year old in March. She has been to the beach three times since she was born. Each time the beach has been Singing Beach at Manchester-by-the-Sea, and each time Strummer, our standard poodle has been with her.

A resident of Manchester-by-the-Sea is asking her fellow townsfolk to deny my daughter the enjoyment of the beach.

According to an article in the Boston Globe today (creatively titled "Some fear town's beach is going to the dogs"), the Town of Manchester-by-the-Sea will be voting on banning dogs from Singing Beach year round at its annual Town Meeting on April 7. Patricia Morley, a resident of Beach Street and employee of the Town gathered the necessary signatures to introduce the dog ban at Town Meeting.

Currently the Town of Manchester-by-the-Sea allows dogs at Singing Beach from October through April. Especially during the colder months, most people at Singing Beach are accompanied by their dogs. A year-round ban on dogs will deny hundreds of families the opportunity to enjoy the beach together.

UPDATE 12 March 2008: The Singing Beach Committee of the Town of Manchester-by-the-Sea voted on Monday not to recommend passage of the article at Town Meeting. Residents will vote on the proposal to ban dogs year-round at Singing Beach at Manchester's annual Town Meeting, Monday, April 7 at 7:00 p.m. at Manchester Memorial School, 42 Lincoln Street, Manchester, MA 01944 (map)

Read more.

UPDATE 21 March 2008: The 2008 Annual Town Warrant for the Town of Manchester-by-the-Sea is now online on the Town website. The unneighborly article that would ban dogs at Singing Beach is Article 30:

To see if the Town will vote to ban dogs from Singing Beach year round, or take any other action relative thereto.
Per petition of Patricia Morley, et al

UPDATE 2 April 2008: The Board-of-Selectmen recommends by a vote of 5-1 that families be banned from enjoying Singing Beach together with our dogs for two more months of the year from April through November. The Gloucester Daily Times, is calling the suggested closing of the beach to beach-goers a "compromise".

Read more.

Posted by Michèle at 10:51 AM
Categories: And Baby Makes Four, Destinations, Massachusetts, Off-Leash Recreational Areas—i.e. "Dog Parks"
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Stummer is adjusting to the new member of the pack: Kate, who is just nine days old today. Here is Strummer keeping an eye on Kate in the Pack 'n Play bassinet. Kate is also being supervised by Dad and Mamah, while Mom captures the moment.

Posted by Michèle at 8:39 PM
Categories: And Baby Makes Four, Strummer
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