A shepherd mix with fluffy fur around the head was seen this morning in the Middlesex Fells near the Long Pond parking lot on the cranberry pond path.
Hi all,
I came across a lost dog this morning on the cranberry pond path, near
Long Pond Parking lot. It looked to be a shepherd mix. He/she was
about the size of a shepherd but extremely skinny. I could see the
ribs and pelvic bone clearly. He/she had tags I could hear clinking
but couldn't get close enough to read them. Wouldn't even come close
for a treat. Seemed to like my dog though. It could've been an older
dog but the fluffy fur around the head made it seem younger. Other
than the skinnyness seemed to have good energy as he darted one way
for a while then came back and proceeded down the trail.
I tried to report it to the Winchester animal control thinking someone
would've called there first but they were closed until Monday. I saw
this dog @9:30 on Sunday Jan 4th.
I figured one of you may know the dog or the owner. He/she is still
out there in the Fells.
Thanks.
Tractor, a very shy neutered black and tan German Shepherd Dog, has been missing since Christmas Eve. He was seen on December 26 on Rte. 2 in Lexington at Arlington Heights.
Tractor lives in New Hampshire but was visiting a home in Arlington on Christmas Eve when he went missing. Please contact the dog's owner in New Hampshire with any information at 603-726-8876 (home) or 603 738-7445 (cell). You can also try calling the Arlington home from which he went missing: 781-641-1371.
The following ad was posted online on December 27:
We are still looking for our lost German Shepherd, Tractor, who went missing from 12 Puritan Rd. in Arlington Heights, Arlington, MA on the evening of 12/24/08. HE WAS LAST SEEN on Route 2 in Lexington at Exit 51 and then again on Route 2 in Arlington at about 7:45am yesterday, 12/26/08. Mass State police responded and saw Tractor, but he got scared and disappeared into the woods. He is a rescue dog, and very shy and scared with men (though he is very gentle); call his name and try to get him to come to you if you see him. He is a neutered male, black & tan shepherd with a pink collar and ID tag with our NH contact information. He also has a microchip. Contact 603-726-8876 (owners home) or 781-641-1371 (home in Arlington where he was lost from) or 603-738-7445 (owners cell) with any info at all. THANK YOU! Please let your patrol officers knowwe want our special boy home safe and sound!
The Newton Park and Recreation Commission voted 5-3 to to designate a section of Cold Spring Park as Newton's first off-leash park. The park will open at the ball field at the end of Duncklee Street for a nine-month trial as soon as rules for off-leash recreation are posted.
As part of the Mezzo Design Lofts project, the developers created a neighborhood park for people and pets on Caldwell Street in Charlestown. The park is just over the Somerville City Line at the end of Broadway, in the shadow of I-93.
The developers are to be commended for improving public open space in the neighborhood. Strummer checked out the park on Labor Day, and, we found some problems that will have to be addressed for the park to succeed. I made a little video documenting the problems.
I learned about the park from friends who live in East Somerville with two small dogs. When they told me about the park, they raised concerns for the safety of their dogs: There are gaps in the park's fencing through which a small dog could easily escape to the heavy traffic of Broadway.
About one-quarter to one-third of the off-leash recreational area is landscaped with low plantings and small trees. The landscaping limits the space that can be used for off-leash recreation; Moreover, the grasses, shrubs and flowers will not withstand the use of the area by dogs, and will become an eyesore.
Celebrate Bunker Hill Day with Friends of Charlestown Dog Parks!
Cheer on the Friends of Charlestown Dog Parks in the Bunker Hill Day Parade on June 15th, 2008. Charlestown dog owners will be walking just behind the Mummers in the parade.
Charlestown's Bunker Hill Day Parade will begin Sunday at 12:30 PM on Chelsea Street, between Medford and Fifth Streets.
For more information including the parade route, see:
There will be a public hearing concerning House Bill 4753, An Act Prohibiting the Renting of Pets, Thursday, June 5, 11 to 1, in Room A-1, at the State House.
Hello Canine Companions and Compadres!
Don't sit on the sidelines.
Don't be an armchair quarterback.
Don't be a backseat driver.
We've worked hard--now it's our time to be heard (and seen) on behalf of dogs and cats. Please make every effort to attend and bring other animal lovers: Those opposing our bill will be there! You can help ban pet rentals.
Thursday, June 5, 11 to 1
Room A-1
State House
FlexPetz is a business that rents dogs--by the hour or day--to people who want the fun of a pet without commitment. FlexPetz calls it "flexible ownership." But callousness by any name still hurts. If we open the door in Massachusetts, other dog and cat rental businesses will follow.
Why It's Bad for Pets
- Dogs and cats need stability and consistency. Rental pets are handed off to a succession of people, spending a few hours with one, a day or two with another--subjected to renters' different personalities, environments, routines and rules, which is confusing and stressful. They spend the rest of their time in animal day care.
- "I see a lot of dogs who have severe behavioral issues resulting from inconsistency. It is nearly impossible for people to be consistent with rented pets," according to Certified Dog Behavior Consultant Jo Jacques, CDBC, CPDT, CPCT.
- Constantly breaking a dog's bonds with humans is cruel, says Ray McSoley, who founded the Animal Behavior Clinic at Boston's acclaimed Angell Memorial Veterinary Hospital.
- And it could ruin their chance for a "forever home" when the business is done with them. "These animals will become distrustful of humans. They will withdraw," says Jo Jacques. If they're not adopted or it fails as a result? Off to a shelter, but older, more confused--and more likely to be euthanized or spend the rest of their lives in cages.
- Even well-mannered pets are more apt to bite when stressed. And constant change is very stressful, the experts say. What happens to the pet who bites after being passed from renter to renter?
- What about the rental pet who becomes chronically ill? No business can hold inventory
that costs instead of pays. And who will adopt a sick or unbalanced animal?
- Pet rental PR suggests this business model is beneficial for shelter animals. Not so. Obviously, the most rentable pets are the most adoptable. Do you think a rental business will take timid, old or scruffy pets who won't command its hefty fee? Or friendly, adorable young animals it can readily rent--who otherwise would have had the best chance for adoption? Instead of getting a "forever home," they become profit centers.
- Renting encourages us to think of all pets--rented, adopted or purchased--as "things" we enjoy till they're no longer cute, fun or convenient, then return, like DVDs or cars.
- "Disposable pet syndrome" encourages animal abandonment and abuse.
- Pet rentals and dog fighting are on the same continuum: They trade on desensitization of humans, commoditization of animals. One business conditions us to tolerate the other.
Why It's Bad for Humans
Consumers may not appreciate the risk of injury and litigation to which renting a pet exposes them. If your stressed rental pet sends just you to the ER, you're lucky. If it's your child, not so much. And if he bites or otherwise injures a stranger, consider this: Personal injury lawyers cast a wide net. While the rental business may be insured, what homeowner's policy covers "rental pet attacks"?
Why It's Bad for Massachusetts
The "disposable pet" mindset pet rental businesses promote may ultimately strain public and private resources. It is akin to the dumbing down of America--except it's our perception of and responsibility to companion animals that will erode. That can only lead to increased pet abandonment, adoption returns and abuse. And that hurts all of us, including taxpayers who don't have an affinity for animals.
"Relationships with dogs and other companion animals have numerous benefits to individuals of all ages, and to the community at large." This is the guiding principle of the Arlington Dog Owners Group, and it resonates in the film by Arlington resident Alice Dungan Bouvrie, who will be available to answer questions about the film at the screening.
Prison Pups is a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the life of four inmates at New England Correctional Center, a minimum-security facility in Concord, as they raise and train assistance dogs for the NEADS (Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans) program based in Princeton, MA.
By taking on the responsibility of caring for a puppy, the inmates develop self-confidence and the capacity for nurturing and affection. This film, produced in cooperation with WGBH, won Best Documentary Award and has been the official selection at several other festivals.
Corrections consultant, Kathleen M. Dennehy will introduce the film. Dennehy was the first woman appointed Commissioner of Correction in Massachusetts.
Superintendent Lynn Bissonnette of MCI-Framinghm, who appears in the film and was instrumental in bringing the prison dog program to Massachusetts will also be available to answer questions.
Tickets are available in advance for $8 from the Regent TheatreRegent Theatre box office at 7 Medford Street in Arlington Center (call 781-646-4849 or visit their website) or at the door May 22. Proceeds will benefit A-DOG and NEADS (Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans).
Proposed Off-Leash Hours and Dog Ban at Menotomy Rocks (Arlington)
[via e-mail]
Arlington Dog Owners Group (A-DOG) supports the substitute motion on Article 28 presented by Michael Ruderman (Town Meeting Member, Precinct 9) which would change the maximum leash length in Arlington from six feet to twenty feet and would establish off-leash hours from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. and p.m. in public parks and open spaces.
The Town of Arlington will most likely vote on the substitute motion at Town Meeting tonight.
Also on the agenda tonight for the Arlington Town Meeting is a vote on Article 29 which would ban dogs at Menontomy Rocks Park.
This weekend is the last weekend to enjoy Singing Beach in Manchester-by-the-Sea with dogs until October 2008. Dogs are allowed on Singing Beach from October 1 - April 30.
At the 2008 Annual Town Meeting this evening, the Town of Manchester-by-the-Sea voted to continue to allow families with dogs to enjoy Singing Beach from October 1 through April 30. A motion seeking to ban dogs year round was defeated as were two secondary amendments, one that would have extended the current five-month prohibition of dogs on Singing Beach by two months and another that would have given families with dogs two more weeks to enjoy Singing Beach together. Ain't democracy grand?!
My favorite part of the discussion was when a representative from the Board of Health told the Meeting that the Board of Health cannot recommend that dogs should be disqualified from beaches any more than they are from streets and parks! Feces in sand, he explained, poses no greater public health risk than feces on asphalt, concrete or dirt!
Early in the proceedings of the Town Meeting, a voter introduced a motion to take up Article 30 out of order.
Being a nonresident with no stake in the other articles on the Town Warrant, I wasn't paying close attention. I think the motion to take up article 30 was introduced after article 3. The motion was seconded and prevailed with more than two thirds of the meeting voting for it.
Patricia Morely who petitioned to put the year-round dog ban on the Town Warrant introduced a motion to amend Article X Section 28 (c) 3 of the General By-Laws of the Town of Manchester-by-the-Sea to prohibit dogs on Singing Beach throughout the year
Ms. Morley's motion was seconded, but in the course of her comments on the necessity of banning people with dogs from Singing Beach, she asked if the matter could be placed on the ballot for the Town Election in May. On the advice of the Town Moderator Morley withdraw her original motion and introduced a new motion.
Susan Thorne, Chairwoman of the Board of Selectmen, then introduced a motion to amend the By-Laws to prohibit people from bringing dogs on Singing Beach from April 1 through November 1.
Another resident by the name of Brown introduced another motion to amend the By-Laws to prohibit people from bringing dogs on Singing Beach from May 1 through September 15.
There was relatively little discussion, largely because a motion to end the debate on the matter was carried by a necessary two-thirds vote.
Mr. Brown's amendment, which would have allowed us to enjoy Singing Beach with our dogs from September 16 through April 30 did not prevail.
Ms. Thorne's amendment, which would have abbreviated the time when dogs are allowed on Singing Beach by two months—from November 1 through March 30—did not prevail.
And Ms. Morley's motion did not prevail.
Thank you, Manchester-by-the-Sea, for welcoming people with dogs on Singing Beach.
Dogs are permitted to be on Singing Beach from October 1st - April 30th.
Dog owners must always clean up after their dog - No excuses!
Dog owners must maintain effective verbal control of their dogs and always be able to see their dogs~~~~when they are off-leash.
Dogs must wear a collar with identification at all times, be licensed and vaccinated.
An owner is personally liable for any damage or injury his dog inflicts or sustains.
Each person is limited to two dogs.
Violators of these rules are subject to removal from the beach and a $10 fine for the first offense and a $25 fine for each subsequent offense.
UPDATE 8 April 2008: Patrick Anderson, reporter for the Gloucester Daily Times, got the vote tallies on the three amendments. For details see "Town Meeting backs keeping dogs on Singing Beach".
Selectmen suggest amendment to proposed dog ban at Singing Beach
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 October. The Gloucester Daily Times is calling the suggested closing of the beach to beach-goers a "compromise".
Susan Thorne, Chairwoman of the Board of Selectmen, believes that by allowing families with dogs to enjoy Singing Beach during the off-season, the town is going out of its way to accommodate nonresidents.
The insularism on the part of Chairwoman Thorne is more hurtful to residents than it is to nonresidents. As a nonresident, I visit Singing Beach about a half-a-dozen times during the off-season. Most people I meet at Singing Beach, however, are Manchester residents. Extending the dog ban will keep Manchester residents off the beach every day.
Chairwoman Thorne's insularism hurts more than families who come from other towns and cities to enjoy Singing Beach; It also hurts the local businesses we patronize when we visit Manchester-by-the-Sea between October and April.
To add insult to injury, Manchester-by-the-Sea wants a piece of money that residents of other cities and towns pay to support our municipal programs and services: Manchester-by-the-Sea supports state revenue sharing, a proposal that would let Manchester-by-the-Sea receive a portion of the property taxes that residents of other cities and towns pay to our local municipalities.
The Board of Selectmen's recommendation to extend the current five-month dog ban at Singing Beach by an additional two months is bad business for Manchester-by-the-Sea.
The Singing Beach Committee opposes a year-round dog ban, and the Vice Chairperson of the Committee says that the Selectmen's amendment does not improve upon the original proposal. The high season at the beach is between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The current rules, which prohibit dogs on Singing Beach from May 1 through September 30, ensure that there is a month before the majority of beach-goers appear and another month after they disappear when the beach is without dogs.
According to an article in the Gloucester Daily Times, 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 that would ban dogs year-round at the beach ("Committee pans dog ban at Singing Beach," by Patrick Anderson).
That's the good news. The bad news is that
Town Selectmen last week voted not to issue a recommendation on the article in the printed warrant. They can still vote to offer recommendations before Town Meeting.
The proposed year-round ban on dogs at Singing Beach is unneighborly. The only time that some people visit the beach is during the off-season when we can enjoy the beach together with our dogs. A year-round dog ban would prevent some residents from ever having an opportunity to enjoy Singing Beach.
If you live in Manchester-by-the-Sea or if you know anyone who does, please (have them) contact the Board of Selectmen and ask them to issue a recommendation against the unneighborly proposal on the Town Warrant that would ban dogs year round at Singing Beach. Contact the Board of Selectmen c/o Wayne Melville,Town Administrator, Town Hall, 10 Central Street, Manchester, MA 01944.
UPDATE 17 March 2008: Thanks to Traildogs for posting that the Board of Selectmen met on Monday, March 3 and decided to wait to make a recommendation on the article that would extend the existing summer prohibition of dogs on Singing Beach year round. The Gloucester Daily Times reports that the Board
decided to issue their recommendation on the article the day of Town Meeting because of lingering questions about whether the article needs to reference the town's canine bylaw and to give Thorne a chance to have her say.
Susan Thorne, chairwoman of the Board, was out of town at the time. "Thorne" according to the article, "was one of the residents who signed the petition to place the dog ban on the warrant" ("Selectmen take wait-and-see approach," by Patrick Anderson).
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
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)
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".
The Newton Board of Aldermen has voted to establish an advisory committee that is responsible for recommending to the City's Parks and Recreation Commission and Conservation Commission possible sites for designated off-leash recreation. It is up to citizen groups to submit proposals for off-leash recreation at specific locations. The committee will not make any specific recommendations until it has received different proposals from several citizen groups.
Newton's "off-leash" ordinance is bad legislation. Unless organized citizen groups are waiting in the wings with proposals, two years will pass quickly without any areas being designated for off-leash recreation. What is especially insidious is that, even if there were a citizen group organized on behalf of off-leash recreation at one park, without similar organization at other parks, its hands are tied.
The new legislation was drafted by an off-leash task force on which only disinterested parties were invited to serve. Members of Newton's dog owner group, NewtonDogs, were were specifically excluded from the task force. Excluding interested parties from the process of crafting legislation guarantees an unsatisfactory outcome and, moreover, demonstrates a profound misunderstanding of what democracy is.
A Newton resident provided somerville dog with some historical background:
When developing this ordinance, the task force was concerned that designating only one or two areas for off-leash activity would be problematic in a city the size of Newton. Their intent was that the advisory committee would need to receive proposals for off-leash areas in a number of different wards or neighborhoods before they made a recommendation to either of the commissions, in order to avoid overuse of a limited number of legal areas. This means that before any off-leash areas are designated a number of citizen groups must come forward with proposals before any areas will be considered.
There is a two year sunset clause on the ordinance. Within the next 18 months the off-leash advisory committee must prepare a report on how well the program has worked, and if the aldermen do not vote to extend or make permanent the ordinance before the end of two years then the ordinance becomes obsolete and the current laws are reinstated.
Newton dog owners have four options:
Organize existing dog-owner communities to submit proposals to the advisory committee for legal options in the places where you already socialize and exersize your dogs off-leash against the law.
Contact your representatives on the Board of Aldermen and tell them that for the safety and enjoyment of everyone who enjoys open space, Newton needs legal areas where residents may enjoy the benefits of socializing and exercising your dogs off-leash now, not two years from now.
Over the next two years, while you are waiting for the "off-leash" ordinance to expire, work together and with your elected representatives on the Board of Aldermen for real options for off-leash recreation.
Continue flying under the radar: unleashing your dogs in your parks and accepting the incumbent risks (fines, accidents, feeling like pariahs in your own community).
Newton residents interested in the issue of off-leash recreation are welcome to join the Newton dog owners group's e-mail discussion group: NewDogsChat at: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/NewDogsChat/.
Tell them what you’re going to tell them, then tell them, then shut up.
For example:
I’m going to speak for 60 seconds. Please cut me off if I go over.
< a few claps, and general good cheer >
I’d like to make three points:
1) I heard a lot earlier about how dogs “were not originally part of the plan”. Well, this area has been inhabited for over 400 years. Harvard was founded over 350 years ago. This place used to be a forest, then a farm, then a dump, then a park. Uses change. People change. Opinions change.
2) The master plan did not use the word “dogs”, true. It used the word “recreation”. However, I note that it also did not use the words “soccer balls”, “Frisbee”, or “tricycle”. People recreate in various ways, and dogs are one of those ways.
3) I live about 30 feet from the park, and I think that dogs there are a great idea.
Discuss Off-Leash Recreation at Menotomy Rocks in Arlington
Am I mistaken, or does the Town of Arlington's Green Dog Pilot Program proposal call for creating "off-leash and fenced dog areas" and restricting usage of the areas to the hours between dawn and 9:00 am for eight months of the year?! Does Arlington really want to cordon off public open space and not let anyone in for twenty-one hours of the day in Spring, Summer and Fall?!
If this seems like a crazy idea, Arlington dog owners, please let Town officials know.
The Town of Arlington is holding a public meeting Wednesday evening, November 28, to introduce the proposal for the Green Dog" pilot program and solicit input from users and neighbors of Menotomy Rocks Park. The meeting will be held in the Selectmen’s Meeting Room in Arlington Town Hall beginning at 7:30.
The meeting Wednesday evening is the third of seven meetings intended for users and neighbors of specific parks in Arlington "where there is already dog walking activity":
The "Green Dog" Pilot Program for Arlington, allowing controlled off-leash activity in Arlington, will be refined based on the public input received and will be presented at the next Town Meeting in Spring of '08.
For additional information contact Leslie Mayer at BLMayer@msn.com.
Congratulations Friends of Peters Park on the Grand Opening of the Joe Wex Dog Recreation Space in the South End, Sunday, November 4, 2007.
The Boston Metro ran a story about the grand opening with the clever headline "City unleashes dog park."
Last month, an article in Boston Globe featured architect David Hacin, who designed the off-leash recreational area ("All that's missing are the biscuits").
Bring work gloves, a small gardening spade, and small plastic bags to help pick up poop.
As a special treat for volunteers, there will be drawings for prizes from the following pet-friendly businesses:
Healthy Dog Pet Co. (332 Main Street, Wakefield 01880; 781-245-PAWS) The Dapper Dawg School of Professional Dog Grooming (62 R Montvale Avenue, Stoneham, MA 02180; 781-438-2900) Paws Club (113 Central Street, Stoneham, MA 02180; 1-888-PAWS CLUB)
Best Friends Pet Care, a national chain offering boarding, grooming, training and day camp, is improving the chance of survival of family pets in emergencies with their 'Cause for Paws' program, which provides pet resuscitation masks for community firefighters.
According to an article in the Wayland Town Crier ("Helping pet rescue"), an anonymous Wayland pet owner donated to Best Friends Pet Care’s "Cause for Paws" program, which matches donated funds, then purchases the lifesaving masks for distribution to the fire departments targeted by the donor.
Susan Adam, manager of Best Friends Sudbury Pet Care Center, and Shirley Moore, president of Save a Dog and Wayland’s Emergency Animal Response team leader, presented the donation to the Wayland firefighter Alexiss Wheeler and her dog, Tiller, on behalf of the Wayland Fire Department.
To facitate enforcement at Fresh Pond Reservation, the Cambridge Water Department has proposed a pilot “medallion” program, according to an article in the Cambridge Chronicle today ("City puts out-of-town dogs on short leash at Fresh Pond"). In addition to having a resident sticker parking permit and a Cambridge dog license, Cambridge dog owners would also have to obtain a medallion collar tag. The Cambridge City Council must vote to approve the pilot program before it goes into effect.
Non-Cambridge families are welcome to enjoy the Fresh Pond Reservation with their leashed dogs. Leashed dogs and unleashed dogs, however, are a potentially dangerous combination.
Without freedom to negotiate a social encounter, a leashed dog can feel that it has no alternative but to attack an unleashed dog. Take away the opportunity for flight and all that remains is the instinct to fight.
Pace the Cambridge Water Department and the Cambridge City Council Ordinance Committee, but I do not trust Cambridge dog owners to prevent their unleashed pets from running up to defenseless, leashed, out-of town dogs. So I will continue not bringing my Somerville dog to Fresh Pond, which, I understand, is exactly what the Cambridge Water Department wants.
This was the scene at Sheepfold in the Middlesex Fells early this Saturday afternoon. The temperature was around 25° F; the wind was out of the NW at 16 mph, gusting to 24 mph. Not many a public park in New England can boast this kind of usage on a Sunday afternoon in January.
So why does the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation want to end "companionship recreation"1 in the Sheepfold?
As posted yesterday to the FellsDOG Google Group, Richard Stewart, Fells District Manager, has confirmed that the DCR is planning to create a half-acre dog park at the Fells to the east of the ten-acre Sheepfold.
The DCR has consulted with the Friends of the Fells and the New England Mountain Bike Association; both groups support removing park users with dogs from the ten-acre Sheepfold to a half-acre fenced-in area to the east.
Until now, the DCR has not consulted with the hundreds of Massachusetts residents who enjoy the Fells with their dogs.
Off-leash recreation is a healthy and normal social activity, and it is wrong that Fells park users are criminalized for participating in it. After years of no enforcement of the leash law at the Sheepfold in the Middlesex Fells, a wonderful community of park users has come together to enjoy the benefits of socializing and exercising our dogs off-leash in the ten-acre Sheepfold. Now the DCR is proposing to pen us up in a one-half acre area.
Access to the dog park will be off Rte. 28, about 50 yards beyond the entrance to the Sheepfold: Fire gate #25. This picture is taken from the entrance of the access road looking south: You can see the entrance to I-93 and a mini van waiting to pull out of the Sheepfold access road.
The access road leads to an old bathhouse that will be demolished: a gazebo with picnic tables is proposed in its place.
The width of the proposed dog park is restricted on two sides by ledge:
Ledge, looking to the SW from the bathhouse.
Ledge, to the NE of the bathhouse.
There is long area between the two ledges. Given budget constraints, the proposed plan is to fence in one half acre with the option to extend the length of the area in the future.
To get to the proposed site, take the fire road that heads east (toward I-93) from the lower parking lot at Sheepfold. About 500 feet from the parking lot the fire road comes to a T: go left and you will come to
the old bath house in about another 500 feet.
Fells Dog Owners have requested to meet with Richard Stewart to share their concerns about the plan to restrict off-leash recreation in the Fells to one-half acre. To get involved please join the Fells Dog Owner Group (FellsDOG).
It appears to have come back on line concurrently with news that the Boston Parks Department will be closing the Dog Recreation Space (DRS) for renovations to Peters Park. At the same time, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation is proposing to suspend off-leash recreational hours on Boston Common for turf restoration. Where will Boston off-leash recreation enthusiasts go when the Boston Common and Peters Park are closed?
In response to an inquiry, I learned that the Friends of Peters Park expect to learn more about the timeline for the renovation of the whole park, including the construction of the new DRS, pending the successful outcome of the DRS Hearing on January 19.
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.
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!
Access to the dog park will be off Rte. 28, about 50 yards beyond the entrance to the Sheepfold: Fire gate #25. This picture is taken from the entrance of the access road looking south: You can see the entrance to I-93 and a mini van waiting to pull out of the Sheepfold access road.
The access road leads to an old bathhouse that will be demolished: a gazebo with picnic tables is proposed in its place.
Ledge, looking to the SW from the bathhouse.
Ledge, to the NE of the bathhouse.