Oakland
ODOG is glad to report that Oakland is moving into the 21st Century, in that some of the city’s 100+ parks are finally planning space for dog owners. None too soon, as we get letters every week from people who say, “I just moved to Oakland from Berkeley/San Francisco/ New York and found out I can’t take my dog to the parks. What gives?”
The dog park near Lake Merritt has been in the planning stages for more than a decade. Who can believe it? If city council members receive enough emails, we think we can get them to build it by summer 2010. Do your part by contacting Pat Kernighan at pkernighan@oaklandnet.com, Rebecca Kaplan at rkaplan@oaklandnet.com, and Nancy Nadel at nnadel@oaklandnet.com.
A dog park is planned for 34th and MLK, across from Eli’s Mile High Club – expect a swingin’ mood there when it opens sometime in the next year. Neighbors in Downtown Oakland have a commitment for a dog park as part of the restoration of four historic parks. Each of these parks will be about one acre. Sounds good but…
On the down side: Oakland continues to ban dogs anywhere within the Lake Merritt Park because it is a bird sanctuary (goose poop anyone?) and we are losing more than ten acres of off-leash open space when East Bay Regional Parks fences off the Serpentine Prairie in Redwood Park to preserve special wildflowers.
The monthly newsletter from ODOG, the Oakland Dog Owners Group, is the best source for keeping up with off-leash issues in O-town. Sign up at our website: www.odogparks.orgwww.odogparks.org. Contact us at: odogparks@comcast.net.
– Emily Rosenberg, Co-founder, Oakland Dog Owners Group (ODOG)
Peninsula
Past and present collided when I was asked to choose sides in a raging debate over use of a baseball field in San Mateo’s Central Park (50 E. 5th Ave.). Years ago, I played on this field; today, I help run the area’s largest animal welfare group and sided with locals who exercise their dogs off-leash in the early mornings, well before teams arrive. Coaches claim owners haven’t earned a Gold Glove for picking-up after their dogs, and some local residents apparently fear for their safety. Concerns boiled-over when a stray dog severely attacked a leashed dog. Off-leash play has been temporarily halted by the City Council, which is listening to all sides.
In a letter to the City of San Mateo’s Park & Recreation Commission, I explained that closing the park to all dog owners penalizes responsible owners and does nothing to change the behavior of the community’s most irresponsible ones. Dog park advocates are merely asking for something which has been allowed since the 1970s: use of a small part of the park during times when others aren’t using it. San Mateo has only one other off-leash dog exercise area, but the population warrants at least two. Let’s hope the City Council reverses its earlier action and hands a victory to the city’s dog lovers.
– Scott Delucchi, Sr. Vice President, Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA
North Bay
To the delight of Marin County’s more than 70,000 canines, nestled among the scenic towns of Sausalito, Mill Valley, San Anselmo, and others are nearly a dozen well-maintained public dog parks. Among these locations are the small and large dog parks at the Marin Humane Society in Novato, described by many as an “undiscovered treasure.”
Since 2007 dogs and their human friends have romped and relaxed at the Humane Society’s two dog parks. The park initially debuted as a “members-only” facility but in 2008 the Society decided to open the parks for public use during designated hours; however many dog guardians are unaware of the recent change. For public use hours, visit http://marinhumanesociety.org/resources/mhsdogparks.html.
The Large Dog Park welcomes dogs over 25 pounds and smaller dogs as appropriate. The Small Dog Park welcomes dogs 25 pounds and under and physically challenged older dogs. All dogs must be spayed/neutered, parasite-free, and current on vaccinations, and must wear a valid license and owner-identification (collar tag or microchip) when using the parks.
When not open to the public, the MHS dog parks provides a place for Humane Society staff and volunteers to exercise and train adoption dogs, and serves as a meet-and-greet facility for potential adopters. The parks are also used for special events, training classes, and dog behavior evaluations.
Stay tuned for upcoming North Bay news, where we’ll explore other county dog parks and open space controversies. Lots of woofing and hollering to come in Bay Woof’s quarterly Rover Reports!
— Carrie Harrington, Communications Manager, Marin Humane Society
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