Home › Forums › West Seattle Rants & Raves › Rant- Dogs still loose at parks
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February 23, 2008 at 1:50 am #586439
ToddinWestwoodMemberFriday the 22nd. Roxhill park. Man in black Subaru with a large black standard poodle (poodles! thats another rant) playing catch in the soccer field with no regard for the rules that say dogs need to be on a leash.
February 23, 2008 at 8:03 am #615931
JimmyGMemberCall Seattle Animal Control and make a complaint. They base their patrols partly on complaints and people tend to use the same parks over and over again when they illegally “exercise” their dogs off leash.
February 24, 2008 at 6:13 pm #615932
mlyn1375MemberTodd, was this poddle bothering you or bit you? Why do you care if Subaru guy was “breaking the rules”? Where do you suggest people play catch with their dogs? It’s kind of hard to let a dog exercise on a leash – walks are nice, but some breeds need more exercise than that. Off-leash parks are hard b/c there are usually many other dogs so it’s a challenge to have any space to play catch.
February 24, 2008 at 6:13 pm #615933
mlyn1375MemberTodd, was this poddle bothering you or bit you? Why do you care if Subaru guy was “breaking the rules”? Where do you suggest people play catch with their dogs? It’s kind of hard to let a dog exercise on a leash – walks are nice, but some breeds need more exercise than that. Off-leash parks are hard b/c there are usually many other dogs so it’s a challenge to have any space to play catch.
February 24, 2008 at 6:29 pm #615934
JanSParticipantmlyn1375….I suppose the answer to that question is…exercise your dog off leash in your own yard. We care that the guy was “breaking the rules” because there are other people using that park, children, etc, who shouldn’t have to worry about being harrassed by your off leash dog. We don’t need to be bothered by your dog. We don’t need to be bothered by your dog’s poop, which is unhealthy to others, to say the least. The rule is there for a reason…what? we should all break all the rules at parks , etc, because, hey, we’re not bothering anyone, so it’s OK? Along with pet ownership comes responsibility…it’s as simple as that.
February 24, 2008 at 7:05 pm #615935
JenVMembermlyn1375, I can’t even believe you would have the gall to ask that question. Roxhill park is a park primarily for kids. So you would let your overbred, vicious dog loose around a bunch of children? If you want your dog off leash, either get a yard or go to an off leash park. Oh, boo hoo, there’s too many other doggies here. Shame on you and I hope a poodle bites you where the sun don’t shine!
February 25, 2008 at 12:15 am #615936
SMemberNot all of us can afford to have yards… so we let our dog off leash if the park is empty or nealy empty. We have a nice dog though so we do it responsibly, but it is technically breaking the rule. We just don’t have a yard though, so it’s tough and there’s not a dog park anywhere near us… unfortunately. It would be so nice to have a dog park somewhere near Alki!
February 25, 2008 at 12:18 am #615937
JanSParticipantfrom Alki, it is so easy to go down West Marginal, and up the hill to West Crest. More difficult if you don’t have a car. Perhaps a long leah, and a long long walk will exercise that doggy of yours :)
February 25, 2008 at 1:53 am #615938
mlyn1375MemberWow! What nasty comments, and yes, I do have the gall to ask the question. First, I don’t have a yard and secondly, I do not have an overbred, vicious dog. What a presumptious, stupid thing to say. I was simply asking a Todd a question, as I get sick of “do-gooders” at parks when I’m walking my dog. “S” hit the nail on the head with his/her comments – there just isn’t a lot of options.
February 25, 2008 at 2:35 am #615939
SMemberI hate to say this but it’s actually not “so easy” to get to West Crest. It’s way harder to find a dog park in this area than a playground yet we are a dog-owning area! I actually think we’ve hit a really important topic here for our community that actually affects everyone. For all of us dog-lovers and to all of you dog-haters reading this: we need a dog park and we’ll all be happy!!
February 25, 2008 at 3:21 am #615940
ToddinWestwoodMemberI would love to help dog owners get another off leash area. In fact, there is a couple areas at Lincoln Park that would make a great off leash spot. I have spoken to friends who own dogs, that own dogs, they would be happy to help.
Why not the South end of Lincoln Park? One of the open areas on the West side of Harbor Ave near Sleepless in Seattle Coffee? Why not the open area at Roxhill Park near the restrooms? These are just a few.
I have a 4 y.o. daughter that we have tried to instill some responsability into her by asking if she can pet someone else’s property.
She is also scared of big dogs at Lincoln Park. I am all for people being a good dog owner, but please, taking your dog out to a local soccer field to play catch,or run is against the law. Dogs, no matter how good of an owner you are, will turn agressive in a second. Any dog that poops on the grass will always leave some “residue” and a child WILL run thru it, fall in it.
If the rules are there, why not abide by them. I mean heck, it is against the law for me to drink or smoke crack in the park, but I am not bothering anyone. Should I be allowed to do it?
I will be the first to sign any petition to the city to get a dog park in West Seattle. I put the original comment out there for a discussion like this, I didnt mean for it to turn mean.
And for the record, I would be a dog owner if my wife was not very allergic to them.
February 25, 2008 at 4:05 am #615941
mlyn1375MemberThanks Todd for the supportive reply. ;-)
February 25, 2008 at 4:47 am #615942
JanSParticipantI Know I’ve posted on here about the responsibility of being a pet owner. I just want to say…I’m not a “dog hater”. I love dogs. I have no pets because I see clients in my home, and can’t risk someone being allergic to them. I, too, wish you had an off leash area close by…and I agree with Todd…Lincoln Park is big enough for one…
February 25, 2008 at 5:04 am #615943
kParticipanti know as a dog owner, i would love another option besides westcrest. i appreciate that people take care of the park, but i do not appreciate the unsafe feeling i have at that park. the wooded areas are awful, the parking lots are unsafe and the park itself is rocky and dangerous for dogs paws. each time i have taken my dog there to run, her paws end up cut from the rocks and pebbles throughout the park. a grassy area would be wonderful! there are so many dogs in west seattle, more than one option would be welcome!
February 25, 2008 at 5:31 am #615944
ToddinWestwoodMembernow that this is all out for everyone to consider, how do we as West Seattlites get our ideas to the Seattle Parks Dept with some kind of organization?
February 25, 2008 at 12:49 pm #615945
littlebrowndogParticipantPlease check out my post on the Recommendations strand where a dogs off leash strand got started. Our dogs are service dogs, and having off leash dogs coming bounding at them is unacceptable.
February 25, 2008 at 1:40 pm #615946
littlebrowndogParticipantOn July 2001, Washington joined 15 other states with a law that specifically protects
guide dogs. Now it will be a misdemeanor to knowingly interfere with or recklessly
injure a guide dog, or to allow one’s dog to obstruct or intimidate a guide dog. Repeat
offenders might be charged with gross misdemeanor, which carries a maximum sentence
of one year in jail and a $5,000 fine.
The Americans With Disabilities Act says that all state laws that say “guide dog” rather than “service animal” nonetheless applies to all service animals. So an off-leash dog bounding up to our service dogs could result in a gross misdemeanor charge.
February 25, 2008 at 9:33 pm #615947
swimcatMemberI don’t own a dog, but I suggested that Parks put in an off-leash area during the input phase for the Myrtle Reservoir park. My idea didn’t make the cut obviously, but I thought it was a good idea because there are so many dog owners in the neighborhood.
On another note, if you get a dog that needs more exercise than a walk or daily run and you don’t have the time or energy to provide that, you should have thought twice before getting that breed. It’s really not fair to the dog.
February 26, 2008 at 12:31 pm #615948
littlebrowndogParticipantHere is what I posted to the other thread about developing off leash areas, in case you are not also reading that one:
I remember the process it took to get the current off leash areas several years ago. It was a protracted (a couple of years) process with many, many heated public hearings with much opposition to every site that was proposed. I know that Lincoln Park was suggested early on and immediately rejected by the city. I know that Alki would never meet the criteria. Among other things, the areas must all be fenced off from the general public, and there will never be a fenced off area at Alki. The group that started and maintains the park in Marymoor provided technical assisstance, and then a similar group was started here in Seattle. I don’t know if those groups still exist, but perhaps if there are people scheduled to clean and patrol the existing areas they may be a part of those groups. For every potential site there was a huge “not in my park” uproar. It was not pretty. Animal Control and the City Council were of course involved, and they were among the big opponents. Jan Drago was the champion of the efforts on the city council. I know that at times even she became frustrated and exhausted and threatened to withdraw her support. But she is who I would contact to begin the effort.
I don’t want to sound negative about this, as I also think it is a good idea. I just want to let you know if you weren’t around in the past or watching the process what a huge undertaking it is.
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