Well, it’s not definite yet, but it looks like the fuel is being added to the fire. In an article in today’s Boston Globe, Megan Woolhouse covers both sides of the growing debate over public spaces for people and/or dogs. The subject, the Rose Kennedy Greenway, is the final piece of the hugely expensive and mismanaged puzzle called the Big Dig, and you can tell personal affection for animals may be driving decisions about whether or not dogs will be allowed to walk through the park with their owners.
I’d rather see huge fees applied towards owners that do not pick up after their dogs, than to block them from a park completely. I’d also like to see the laws get a little more sophisticated. Look towards Brookline’s Green Dog program. Look at other cities like NYC (of course) to see what a dog-friendly (yet conservative) program looks like. Nancy Brennan I hope you’re reading this, because it’s clear that you haven’t done much research.
I am quoted halfway through the article… so I borrowed some of the text here:
Should dogs have the right to frolic on the grassy lawns and parklands of the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway?
That’s the question facing members of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority and the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conservancy Board, which yesterday discussed whether to ban dogs from portions of the park, enforcing leash laws, and opening a dog park on a designated strip to protect newly planted trees and grass worth millions of dollars.
“It’s going to be one of the bigger problems I’m going to be dealing with,” said Steven D. Anderson, operations director for the Greenway. “You can see some of the favorite spots of the Great Danes.”
Officials expressed concern that the Greenway could become the brownway if dogs are allowed free rein in the 30 acres of parks and public space that replaced the old Central Artery highway. But the idea of restricting dogs puts the board at odds with some dog owners who have long contended that Boston has too few parks and open spaces where dogs can run free.
While off-leash dog parks are common in many big cities, Boston sanctioned its first, Peters Park in the South End, less than a year ago.
That rankles dog owners like Brian Henderson, creator of www.dogboston.com, a website dedicated to creating more places for dogs.
“We have two dogs that are part of my family, and I feel they should be able to walk around the city like anyone else,” Henderson said. “Dogs are an extremely important part of today’s society, and as long as people pick up after them, it shouldn’t be an issue.”
Yeah, well, the problem is that some people don’t pick up after their pets and that ruins it for everyone. So penalize them for not following an important rule.
4 responses so far ↓
1 Rhea // Jan 9, 2008 at 11:29 am
Boston is so Neanderthal when it comes to dogs. Surrounding cities are already establishing dog parks (Brookline, Cambridge, Somerville) or on the way to doing it, and the city of Boston has, what, one dog park?
2 Brian // Jan 9, 2008 at 11:55 am
I totally agree. While the charm of the city is wonderful, sometimes our city planners seem to have their conservative clothing laced on a bit too tight.
There will be some public meetings in the spring and I hope we can rally a group to come up with some sensible ideas. I’d “beg” Michele and Helen (Somerville DOG and Cambridge DOG) to act as advisors in the effort, and hope we could come up with a smart plan for both dog owners and non-dog owners.
There’s not much we can do for the dog haters… the weird part is that many of the anti-dog people on the “conservancy board” have dogs themselves. Sounds like they are getting steamrolled by the more forceful members - or they don’t live in Boston.
It’s hard enough for dog owners to find apartments and places to live and this only worsens it.
3 Brian // Jan 9, 2008 at 10:04 pm
OK, so I just got a weird call from someone who said she had just talked to Nancy Brennan and she said it looks like the situation is not as dire as the article had intended. She also added Nancy is very nice. OK! But I’m not sure I believe this person, because I am not sure who I talked to (No Caller ID), nor how she got my phone number, nor why she hung up on me halfway through the call. Weird. (I am not making this up)
4 Dina // Jan 13, 2008 at 5:20 am
We has special areas on some parks, but as a rule dogs are only banned from the areas where all the children play to protect them.
If there are not enough public areas for dog in Boston maybe this can be changed, pees on the dog owners that don’t pick up after their pets can help only if they are a small minority.
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