Community Solutions: Instant Dog Parks and Unfenced Dog Parks
Instant Dog Parks: Communities that desperately need cheap or free new off leash parks can simply re-purpose an underused tennis court as a new off leash area. Some communities have great success using pools, ice rinks, hockey rinks and tennis courts in the off season as makeshift dog parks. It is an inexpensive, practical, and quick way to solve a problem. Equestrian facilities, riding rings, warehouses, abandoned lots, tennis and basketball courts with cracked or poor surfacing, all make good off leash areas. For an example see an image of a converted baseball field at Joe Station Dog Park in Tulsa. Municipalities can offer a zoning variance and/or tax incentive, and liability waiver to anyone with a fenced pasture who is willing to let local dog owners use it. This along with allowing a property owner to install a donation box at the pastures gate provides incentive for a private land owner to help out the community at little cost to citizens and taxpayers. The constant traffic to and from dog parks can add safety to a community. The dog park at the Congressional Cemetery in Washington D.C. was planned to deter local drug transactions and was successful in this endeavor.
Unfenced Dog Parks: Dog owners can find suitable off-leash space in many fenced dog parks and in a few unfenced areas where dogs are permitted off-leash. Prospect Park in Brooklyn is a national model for incorporating off-leash space without fencing, into a large multi-use park. Portland offers several unfenced off-leash dog areas with limited hours and restrictions. An unfenced dog park can present challenges to residents who live nearby or whose property abuts the park, especially if dog owners bring dogs that are not properly trained to follow commands.
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—Sharon Olds (b. 1942)
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