Home › Forums › Open Discussion › Westcrest Park…. Dogs everywhere.
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March 3, 2013 at 1:11 am #606651
velo_nutParticipantAt Westcrest right now…. There are 8 owners and 9 dogs in the large field area unleashed. Wtf???
March 3, 2013 at 2:14 am #785367
JanSParticipantI’ve never been to Westcrest…is that a field other than the off leash area?
March 3, 2013 at 3:41 am #785368
velo_nutParticipantIt’s not the off leash area, it’s right next to it.
There are MANY signs at the entrance to leash your pets.
Absurd. C’mon enforcement, where are you?
March 3, 2013 at 5:10 am #785369
JanSParticipantdid you say anything to them? Does anyone ever say anything to those who think they’re above the law? Rhetorical question , I suppose. Some people are more special than the rest of us, it seems, whether they are letting their beloved Fido off leash when not allowed, or going 50 MPH (and tailgating) on the SSV, going 60 mph on the big bridge. They’re all over the place, these privileged people….sigh
March 3, 2013 at 5:24 am #785370
cs in hpParticipantI’ve had a lot of problems at Westcrest with people on their way back to the parking lot letting their off leash dogs run up to my kids’ faces in the play area. I remind them that they’re outside of the off leash area and they usually call their dogs at that point and put the leash on… after my kids are screaming in terror. Here’s something I just found online which seems helpful:
“Seattle Parks and Recreation has no enforcement authority, so they rely on the officers of the Animal Shelter to enforce the license, leash, and scoop laws… If you are ever able to get a vehicle license plate number of a dog owner who brings their dog to a park and runs it off leash—or allows their dogs, even on leash, onto an athletic field, into a children’s play area, or onto a beach—Animal Shelter can run their information and contact them at their residence. Also, it’s especially helpful if you can let Animal Shelter know if there are specific times and days of the week where you are seeing more violations. If so, they can have their officers focus in on those times. The best way to contact the Seattle Animal Shelter dispatch center is to call 386-7387 ext 7 or go online at http://www.seattleanimalshelter.org and click on request field services.”
so you have to be proactive- if you want enforcement you have to take charge and contact them to let them know there’s a problem.
March 3, 2013 at 8:16 am #785371
datamuseParticipantJanS, I have. I usually get a lot of attitude, and occasionally cursing, for my trouble.
I don’t go to Westcrest anymore. Too many bad encounters on the trails with aggressive dogs.
March 3, 2013 at 11:18 am #785372
velo_nutParticipantI was with my wife and 2 year old. I didn’t dare say anything… Who knows what kind of crazy reaction we would get!
March 3, 2013 at 2:49 pm #785373
JoBParticipanti have been yelled at by passsers-by for telling someone to leash their dog in Lincoln Park. Go figure.
The pups and i don’t go anywhere near Westcrest. Far too risky. There are almost always unleashed dogs outside the off leash area.
March 3, 2013 at 3:10 pm #785374
snaParticipantAll day every day at Hamilton Viewpoint there are off leash dogs using the south end of the park as an off leash doggy playground. The grass is fairly destroyed at this point and littered with random poopy landmines.
March 3, 2013 at 3:12 pm #785375
cs in hpParticipantLooks like a lot of people have been having similar problems and it’s driving people away from our park, which is no good – Westcrest is about to get a facelift and will be even more awesome for everyone, not just folks with dogs.
Here’s a direct link to that request service page: http://www.seattle.gov/customerservice/request.htm
the more people that request service the more likely the laws will be enforced- so if you want your park back, do it. you have the power…
March 3, 2013 at 6:02 pm #785376
angelescrestParticipantHello! Bar S Field…it’s turned into a dog park, despite the signage. The sidewalk on Admiral outside of the field is another landmine of dog poop. It’s so gross. Neighbors seem to think it’s fine to let their dogs out to do their thing. Yeah, I snarl at them. Stepping in/around dog poop puts one in a lousy mood.
March 3, 2013 at 6:12 pm #785377
krobertsParticipantRecently, we were with our 2 and 4 year old in Fauntleroy Creek Park when 4 off leash dogs approached us. We asked the owners several times to leash their dogs, and were completely ignored. When I told the women that our kids were scared of dogs, and more forcefully asked them to leash their dogs, a mouthful of profanity was unleashed upon me-I don’t have the cleanest mouth, but what came out of this woman’s mouth was pretty unbelievable. Her partner told me she felt sorry for me, that I must not have a life if I didn’t have anything better to worry about. With Schmitz park appearing to be an unspoken off leash area for dogs, I’m very frustrated that there is no enforcement.
March 3, 2013 at 6:19 pm #785378
DelridgeResidentMemberHaving worked at an animal shelter, not in Seattle, I know that the more people who complain and the more often, then the animal control officers will start making those areas a priority.
Complaining here will probably not do any good, but see cs in hp’s post for phone numbers and webpages for the proper place to complain.
March 4, 2013 at 5:35 pm #785379
DBPMemberThis is why I’m opposed to creating an off-leash area at Lincoln Park. Unless the off-leash concept is understood and respected by the dog-walking public, then the result will be off-leash dogs taking over the whole of Lincoln Park, and not just the off-leash areas.
Unfortunately, the Westcrest experience demonstrates that many West Seattleites don’t yet get the off-leash concept. However, I believe that there is a solution, and it doesn’t involve spending more taxpayer money.
I think the Westcrest off-leash park has its own official advocacy group. These folks help maintain the area based on the principle that since dog walkers are the ones who benefit from it, dog walkers are the ones who should take care of it.
Since the park is now creating some additional problems, the Westcrest off-leash advocacy group needs to take on the added responsibility for putting up signage and reminding users that outside the o-l fence dogs should be on leashes.
Does anyone have contact info for the Westcrest dog group? If there is no such group, there should be. Perhaps we can make existence of off-leash areas contingent on that.
March 4, 2013 at 7:22 pm #785380
datamuseParticipantI don’t know about the advocacy group, DBP, but there’s a Facebook community generally dedicated to the park.
March 4, 2013 at 7:32 pm #785381
DBPMemberMarch 4, 2013 at 7:35 pm #785382
datamuseParticipantWhy yes, it is. I haven’t spun fire in a couple of years, though.
March 4, 2013 at 7:39 pm #785383
JanSParticipantDBP…I think that it’s more than they just don’t get the concept. I think that they don’t give a damn..rules weren’t meant for them – they’re special….
March 4, 2013 at 7:51 pm #785384
DBPMemberYou’re probably right, Jan. However, I try to operate on the principle that a certain number of people can always be “saved” . . . and the rest of us can be embarrassed into doing the right thing in spite of ourselves.
Isn’t that pretty much how the world works?
;-)
March 4, 2013 at 7:55 pm #785385
JanSParticipantbut of course….maybe you could go out to Westcrest, and try and “educate” them…it seems everyone is afraid of saying anything because they get a nasty berating when they do…
March 4, 2013 at 8:36 pm #785386
WSratsinacageMemberDBP – Didn’t you take pictures of scofflaws at Westcrest a few months ago?
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