In Londonderry, NH, Winston, a miniature pinscher/chihuahua pulled his owner out of danger from a falling branch in an ice storm. ("Rescued pooch hailed a hero during ice storm" by Julie Huss, Derry News Online) Winston was adopted less than a month ago from All Dog Rescue. He was fostered here in Somerville, MA! Check out the fine raincoat Winston is wearing: it was made by the owner of Fonzie, a Chinese Crested and Somerville dog! The New York Council of Dog Owner Groups (NYCdog) cheers the unanimous vote of the NYC Health Board to amend Section 161.05 of the City Health Code, commonly known at the "Leash Law," granting the NYC Parks Commissioner explicit authority to permit off-leash recreation in the New York City parks at certain locations and at certain times. The New York Council of Dog Owner Groups applauds the State Supreme Court ruling from Judge Peter J. Kelly on November 30, 2006 denying, in its entirety, the Juniper Park Civic Association’s petition to compel the Parks Department and the City of New York to end the successful 20-year off-leash courtesy hours policy (9 PM until parks close, and when they re-open until 9 am, only in certain designated Park spaces). In May 2006 the so-called* civic association interpreted existing municipal ordinances to prohibit the Parks Commissioner from designating off-leash courtesy hours in parks without designated off-leash areas. The NYC Health Board votes on Tuesday on new regulations that would clarify the Parks Commissioner's authority to designate off-leash courtesy hours in parks without designated off-leash areas. *In my humble opinion, there is nothing "civic" about an association that wants to deny the enjoyment of public open space to 40% of their neighbors. via e-mail according to an op-ed piece in the New York Times today by Jonathan Safran Foer, "My Life as a Dog." Whether or not the source is reliable is a good question: Foer intimates that his own dog, George, who "occasionally tries to eat [his] son" is one of the culprits keeping the decrease in dog bites in New York City from achieving one hundred percent. Foer may not be a responsible dog owner, but he does have something worthwhile to say about the place of pet ownership in human communities. Pet ownership, Foer understands, is an inter-species relationship. From his relationship with his dog he has learned that "compromise is necessary to share space with other beings"— a lesson that applies not only in the myriad relationships individuals may have with one another, but also in relationships among groups and organizations of all kinds. It's well and fine that Foer advocates "sharing our space with other living things," but the the off-leash hours policy in NYC parks is not about humans sharing public open space with dogs: It's about neighbors sharing space with each other; it's about park users sharing space with each other. People who enjoy off-leash recreation live in communities with people who do not like dogs. Public open space must accommodate park users who enjoy off-leash recreation as well as park users who enjoy basketball, frisbee, reading and soccer. Yes, off-leash recreation is good for dogs. Off-leash recreation provides much needed opportunities for socialization and exercise, and dogs that are well socialized and that get enough exercise are better pets and better neighbors. They are less likely to develop inappropriate and destructive habits like barking, chewing, digging, lunging and jumping-up on people. Off-leash recreation is good for humans, too. It provides an incentive for people to get out in the fresh air and to meet other people in the community who share similar interests. Here in Somerville, MA, opportunities for off-leash recreation are provided in designated off-leash recreational areas according to posted rules. We have one OLRA, which opened almost eight months ago—the fully fenced-in OLRA at Nunziato Field. For the time being, one quarter-acre of open space must serve the 27,000+ people who live with dogs in Somerville. In New York City, overuse of the City's 40+ dog parks is mitigated by the Offleash Courtesy Hour policy: In public parks without designated areas for off-leash recreation dogs are allowed off-leash from 9 pm to 9 am. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Board of Health votes on December 5, 2006 whether to adopt amendments that will clarify the authority of the Parks Commissioner under the Health Code to allow dogs off the leash in City parks. The Nashua Dog Owners Group (Nashua D.O.G.) is working to establish a permanent dog park in the City of Nashua, New Hampshire. Their efforts are described in a very nice article by Andrew Nelson that ran in the Nashua Teleraph on Tuesday, May 23, "Dog group nearly paws-itive park plans will move forward" (registration required). Nashua D.O.G. has submitted a proposal to their board of aldermen to create a members-only off-leash recreational area on city-owned property, which the group would lease from the City for $1 a year. The group would assume responsibility for the construction of the dog park: the proposed budget for the project, according to the article, is $75,000. The group would also assume responsibility for maintenance of the area. Access to the area would be restricted to registered members who would be issued a passkey to enter the area. A passkey system is in use at the Overlook Dog Park in Manheim Township, in Pennsylvania. Currently, Nashua D.O.G. sponsors a weekly off-leash play group on private property. Dogs must be registered in advance to attend the play group, and the weekly fee is $3 per dog. Some weeks, more than 160 dog attend the two-hour play group, and Nashua D.O.G., a 501(c)(3) organization, collects about $500 weekly in playgroup fees. Today is the first day of a one-month e-conference about planning for a dog-friendly community: The Ithaca Conference. The conference is intended for community planners, activists (read: "dog owners"), tourism consultants, and entrepreneurs in pet and related sectors. This week's topic is "dog parks." Jump in and join the fray. The e-conference will lay the groundwork for a live conference in Ithaca on April 22. Details are available at ithacaconference.com. Update 25 January 2005: The conference organizer has modified the topics of the e-conference and the agenda for the live confernece. I have updated the information here accordingly. The organizer of a conference on "planning for a dog-friendly community" posted an announcement as a comment to a somerville dog blog entry. I'm reposting it today for current readers... Suggestions and collaboration are welcome. Your dog can help the animal victims of Hurricane Katrina. Donations are still needed! Pet Spa, 669 Somerville Avenue, Somerville MA is sponsoring a Doggie Costume Contest to benefit Noah?s Wish, Saturday afternoon, October 29th at 1:00. A minimum donation of $10 is suggested to enter your dog in the contest. Among the organizations participating in the "Dog Days of Summer" was the Manheim Township Dog Owners Group (MTDOG), which supports off-leash recreation at Overlook Park, a 120-acre regional park in Manheim Township. The township occupies 23.4 square miles in the center of Lancaster County, bordering the City of Lancaster to the north. The population in 2000 was 33,697. Later in the week, Steve Bussanmas, a member of the Overlook Community Foundation Board, gave me a tour of the site where a new dog park is under construction and spoke to me a bit about the process of including an off-leash recreational area in Overlook Park and of the role he anticipates the off-leash recreational area will play in the community. Seventy-five percent of the initial costs for the dog park are being provided by a loan from the Township, but the local dog owners group is obligated to pay back the loan over the course of the next ten years. If the dog owners group makes improvements to the area, the cost of the improvements will be counted toward the payback of the loan. but I vote for people not dogs. Senator Rick Santorum (R-Pennsylvania) says Last time I checked, in our laws we are not responsible to anything of God's. A better gage by which to evaluate PAWS is to ask whether the legislation serves American society by promoting responsible breeder practices and thereby ensuring that the animals bred to be our pets are healthy and well-adjusted to live in our homes and our community. A politician who believes that love is a threat to the family and who puts the life of zygotes before the (life and) liberty of women (and children) will never get my vote, and an organization that funds his campaign will never get my money. via e-mail Looking to buy your next home in a dog-friendly neighborhood? Try Anapolis, MD, in Anne Arundel County. In addition to "four off-leash dog parks -- and one dog beach," the County features a "pet of the week" on its website home page, as reported in the Washington Post yesterday: "At Parks and Beach, Anne Arundel Dogs Are Given Free Rein." In a county known for chocolate Labradors and, increasingly, thimble-size lawns, Owens has taken the unusual step of opening four off-leash dog parks -- and one dog beach -- on little more than a hunch that the dogs would come. She wants to market Anne Arundel as a dog-friendly county, to lure the leash-and-collar set in the same way that Blue Ribbon schools attract parents. . . . "I just knew. . . . that it would be a gathering place for people," Owens said. "And it just struck me: It's important to building neighborhoods and community -- quality of life." "The leash-and-collar set." Hey! We're a demographic! $35.9 billion annually can't be wrong. According to the Washington Post, the House Appropriations Committee voted on Thursday, June 9, "to sharply reduce the federal government's financial support for public broadcasting." The Associated Press (via CNN.com) reported last week that "Public television stations and National Public Radio would lose 25 percent of their federal funding next year under a bill cleared by a House committee Thursday night . . . ," i.e. June 16. June 9 or June 16, no matter. Yesterday in front of the Capitol dome MoveOn.org, a 501(c)(4) organization that "primarily focuses on education and advocacy on important national issues," presented one million signatures to save public broadcasting. What does this have to do with the human and canine residents of Somerville? Clifford, the Big Red Dog Public broadcasting is an outlet for alternative programing that does not have the commercial appeal to survive on network television. via Boston Dogs DogFriendly.com has published its 3rd Annual list of Top 10 Dog-Friendly Cities To Visit in North America. Boston residents, who, because of its dearth of safe and legal options for off-leash recreation, consider Boston one of the least dog-friendly major cities in the U.S. in which to live, will be surprised to learn that of the top ten dog-friendly cities to visit in the U.S. Boston is number three. Families with dogs who are planning to visit Boston should be advised that some of the dog-friendly attractions listed for Boston are not quite as attractive as DogFriendly.com makes them out to be. For example, do not book a hotel on the basis of its proximity to the Charlesgate Dog Run. See for yourself: the "dog run" is not used and not usable by families with dogs. It is not surprising that Boston is not the only major metropolitan area having a problem with aggressive dogs. After a Chihuahua was allegedly beheaded by pit bulls when it allegedly interrupted their dinner, which they were eating at the United Nations Plaza, the New York Times printed an editorial about the need for legislation that addresses dog-on-dog violence to stop aggressive dogs before they ultimately injure a human.1 But what really concerns me is the Times' argument that laws that address dog-on-dog aggression will protect the person who otherwise finds it necessary to shield her pet with her own body. First of all, according to the earlier article, New York City law does not protect a person who puts herself in danger by interfering in a dogfight. Second, dog-on-dog aggression is in itself a serious problem that human communities should take seriously. Humans have brought dogs into our communities, and we owe it not only to ourselves, but also to our dogs, not to tolerate sociopaths who allow their dogs to threaten their neighbors. 1The Somerville City Ordinances do address dog-on-dog violence. According to Sec. 3-32. Restraint or muzzling of dogs, At the planning meeting for an off-leash initiative this evening I met a couple who will be moving to Somerville with their two dogs in September and who shared with the group their experiences at well-organized and highly functional dog parks in Minneapolis. Check out the timeline of the St. Paul off-leash initiative, spearheaded by Responsible Owners of Mannerly Pets (ROMP)—and check out the ROMP dogs' matching bandanas! October 1996 ROMP asks Ramsey County Parks to create two pilot sites, one in Maplewood and one in Shoreview. January 1997 Ramsey County Parks approves pilot project. July 1997 Ramsey County Parks opens pilot sites. If Somerville dog owners can match the pace of ROMP, we could have an off-leash pilot program in thirteen months! When does the clock start ticking? We still don't have a name for our effort...January 20, 2007
Rescue Dog Returns the Favor
December 11, 2006
Off-leash Hours in NYC Parks codified
December 3, 2006
Congratulations NYCdog!
November 27, 2006
Sharing Open Space in New York City
In the years that dogs have been allowed to run free in [New York] city parks, dog bites have decreased 90 percent
May 24, 2006
Off-leash in Nashua, NH
February 15, 2006
Planning for a Dog-Friendly Community 2006
January 5, 2006
The Ithaca Conference: Planning for a Dog-Friendly Community
The Ithaca Conference: Planning for a Dog-Friendly Community
April 22, 2006
Ithaca4Dogs, a project of Bridges-PRTD, announces a national conference on planning for dog-friendly communities. This two-part event, including a one-month online e-conference and a one-day in-person conference, is intended for community planners, activists, tourism consultants, and entrepreneurs in pet and related sectors.
Register by joining the Google Group IthacaConference
October 26, 2005
Dogs Dress Up For Donations
Dogs helping dogs
More pictures from Pet Spa's 2004 Costume Contest (Right click and select "View Image" to see larger pictures):
August 21, 2005
Ball Parks and Dog Parks in Lancaster County (PA)
Strummer and her humans spent a hot and humid week in Lancaster, PA, visiting family. On August 8, she had the honor of meeting Ross Peebles, one of the Lancaster Barnstormers pitchers. It was the "Dog Days of Summer" at Clipper Magazine Stadium, and the Barnstormers beat the Atlantic City Surf 9-1 to move into first place in the Southern Division of the Atlantic League!
When I asked Steve about his dog, I was surprised to learn that he is not a dog owner. He became a dog park advocate when his daughter moved to Atlanta, GA, and he was worried about her being alone. She adopted a dog, and, when he visited her in her new home town, he discovered that his daughter had become a part of the local community of dog owners. He returned to Manheim Township and helped to found MTDOG. As he said to the Manheim Township Board of Commissioners at the regular meeting of the Board on December 13, 2004, "Manheim Township does not have a downtown or a center:" he sees the potential for a dog park to bring members community together and, along with existing park amenities (a golf course, driving range, ball fields—both soccer and baseball—miniature golf, and public roller skating rink), to help make Overlook Park an activity and cultural center and to enhance the quality of life in the Township.
Initially the dog owners group hoped to locate the off-leash recreational are in another part of the park where there is a pond, but abutters, fearing that people who brought their dogs to play with other dogs in the park would allow their pets to jump the park's fences and terrorize their children, succeeded in getting the proposed area relocated to another part of the park. Opposition to the Foundation's overall mission to create an activity and cultural center and to enhance the quality of life in the Township continues and is fomented by factions in the Township that do not want tax dollars to be used to pay for the projects at Overlook Park.
The site of the future Overlook Dog Park features a small wooded section, a sunny area and plenty of space for the dogs to play. Access to the dog park will be controlled by a gated entry. Park users must have a valid key card to unlock the gates. In addition to a large common area, the dog park will have a fenced-in 3/4 acre area for small dogs (<30 lbs.) as well as a 2+ acre fenced-in area for large dogs (>30 lbs.). In its 2003 report to the Manheim Township Commissioners, the Foundation projects that in addition to user fees, revenue for the dog park will be generated by programming, dog shows, vaccination clinics, and grooming services, that can be organized in the common area.
June 30, 2005
I own a dog and I vote
we have a responsibility to God's creatures to treat them humanely, and the government's laws should reflect that,''
justifying legislation he recently submitted, the Pet Animal Welfare Statute (PAWS [S. 1139 & H.R. 2669]), which would amend the federal Animal Welfare Act.
The animal rights political action committee Humane USA gave $5,000 to Santorum's 2006 re-election bid and has pledged to campaign aggressively for him.
June 22, 2005
Relocating? Anapolis, MD seeks dog owners
Janet S. Owens, the Anne Arundel County [E]xecutive, . . . has taken pains to position Annapolis and its environs as a destination for dog owners
Clifford: Honorary Somerville Dog
I disapprove of internet hoaxes just as much, if not more, than the next guy, so when a former Somerville dog owner sent me an email asking me to help save NPR and PBS, the first thing I did was check my trusty source for internet hoaxes, the Urban Legends Reference Pages. It turns out that this time our representatives to the US Congress really are voting on whether to slash funding for NPR and PBS.
Dogs and More Dogs
Extraordinary Dogs
Sled Dogs: An Alaskan Epic
WOOF! It's a Dog's LifeMay 21, 2005
Top 10 Dog-Friendly Cities To Visit in North America - 2005
September 7, 2004
Dog-on-dog aggression
Now if the fact that the owner of the accused dogs allows herself and her dogs to be photographed like this doesn't suggest that she is insane, certainly her admission to feeding her dogs dinner in United Nations Plaza should raise questions about her commitment to the social contract.the chief of police or officer designated by him or her may restrain or order to be restrained or muzzled any dog for . . . Having killed, maimed, or otherwise caused damage to any other domesticated animal . . . .
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August 16, 2004
Minneapolis/St. Paul
June 1996 A small group of off-leash enthusiasts meet to discuss how to obtain sites where they can legally exercise their dogs off-leash. They choose a name for their effort: ROMP (Responsible Owners of Mannerly Pets).
