As we spend more and more to bail out CitiGroup and probably now the Big Three auto manufacturers, I have a home-related issue to rant about.
Since we’re talking billions every day, I never thought that “b” word would ever come out of my mouth and as I see our investments tanking, it never will except in terms of our government using our money and our children’s and grandchildren’s money to bail out banks and insurance companies who all got red Ferraris as a bonus a couple of years ago. Yes, please keep these people in their $20 million homes with their cars and country clubs.
I’m talking about dog owners. There are 72 million pet dogs in the USA (AVMA, 2007) and we pay taxes. Every year parks are allocated, ball fields and playgrounds are built, but there is no awareness of the needs of responsible dog owners to legally let their dogs off leash. Socialization and exercise are necessary for owners and their dogs. But while athletes and toddlers are paid for, dog owners are told to buy their own land and build and maintain their own parks.
Why is this? We pay for the ball parks and tot lots and mowing the grass. Many of us don’t have kids and would like to share our local parks legally, in whatever way works for each community and each park. We’re talking about responsible dog owners with well-behaved dogs, rules etc.
Bed Dog
Many cities do not have space for new parks. In San Diego, four Council Districts were targeted. Of the other four, one was taken care of and the others were in areas in the City not conducive to off-leash activity. Only Districts 2 and 5 tried, after six years! My dog died awaiting legality of her park.
District 1 was a disaster, thanks Scott Peters, for whom I campaigned and who lied to us about being open on this issue. I can say this because I haven’t lived there for five years. On May 2, 2001 instead of bringing a ball, for the first and only time my dog brought a huge teddy bear to the park, ironically purchased at a yard sale from leash-free opponents.
She wagged her tail and said hello to everyone. The next day she was gone. I spent all my evenings and weekends at community meetings, to get my dog a leash-free area and she died awaiting it. Over forty friends and neighbors donated a tree to the City in her honor. We had a brief ceremony and everyone poured a cup of water on the tree. Last I saw it, it was doing well.
Chani’s ashes are in the teddy bear she took to the park that fateful day. They are in a plastic bag behind a felt heart with lace borders and about fifty microscopic red and white beads our dear friend Joan sewed on. She also asked me for photos and made a montage that is displayed in our home today, with the bear.
A few years ago when we moved, friend helping out asked if our new dog (who is not new as she’ll be five in January) Zoe could have a stuffed animal. I said OK, most of them are Chani’s old ones and she’s been eating through them one by one. Then I remembered and asked what it looked like. NOT THAT ONE!!!!!
Responsible dog owners who have legal leash-free areas make parks safe and clean. They spawn user groups that utilize informal peer enforcement to encourage other dog owners to be responsible. Here with Zoe and at our former park with Chani, toddlers and their parents ask if they can pet my dog. My rule is that child asks, asks parent, asks dog owner, OK to pet.
We just want to be treated like other citizens and park users, especially as we pay for our parks but are only allowed partial use of them. Ten million would do wonders nationwide, in the right hands. But we’re not asking for money, only sanity. Billions more to bail out people who ran off with our money in the first place and are about to do so again is foolish. For the Big Three to not have their act together at a Congressional hearing, while holding out their hands for money, is a disgrace.
I’m just trying to put things into perspective. Dee
Cooking with Dee 
Google Alerts are a good thing, which is how I found this blog entry.
I don’t know where you live, but if it is any consolation, this is a problem in many cities around the country.
Mainly, that’s because dog parks are a very new phenomenon (Berkeley, 1979), and “parks for people with dogs” is still not considered a legitimate recreational use of park land in many quarters.
I did some research on the history of children’s playgrounds in public parks, and was heartened to find that the same problem existed when this idea was first proposed in the 19th century. It took 30 years before such amenities began to gain wide acceptance among park planners.
Dog parks started springing up with regularity in the late 1990’s, and now the trend has become almost a tsunami. Just 3 years ago, the total was about 700, but now it is pushing 3000.
But some communities still don’t “get it.” But that will change as people like yourself continue to offer eloquent arguments for dog parks.
Ha! at first glance I thought that caption read “Bad Dog”!
Under no circumstances should you watch “The Brave One”; you’ll never want to let your dog off-leash again…
Thank you, Jan. Have you ever seen the Australia Study? I no longer have a copy. They covered different ways in which to have a safe non-fenced area that uses natural terrain. We worked for six years for little gain, thousands of us vs. three real opponents.
As for the de facto political director of our project, it’s been great to have a few years off. It burned us out big time. But it taught me a lot about politics and getting things done at City Hall.
Years later I’d walk the halls with a non-profit client and the staffer would say “I know you from somewhere.” Then later, “You’re ‘The Dog Lady.'” Oh well, someone has to be that. I’m incognito now. Thanks!
As to Val the Vet, I’ll deal with you on Thursday. Looking forward to seeing you again, cuz. Dee