Dog Park Subcommittee Report 26 May 2012
A dog park is for everyone, young and not so young, short, tall, physically fit or not, and those who are physically challenged. The only requirements we attempt to maintain are that dog parks are close to parking to serve those who are physically challenged and that the dog park be at least 50 yards from residential property, to minimize barking dogs’ disturbance upon neighborhood residential property owners.
A dog park conforms to the lay of the land; no clearing is needed nor is it requiring any specific size or shape. In fact, it is best to leave the land in its present condition, to have hills, trees, and bushes for the dogs to explore and investigate. In our travels with our dogs, we have seen dog parks partially or solely contained within water detention facilities, such as the two dog parks on the west side of Harris County. The Congressman Bill Archer & Millie Bush Dog Parks have been completely flooded during heavy rain events, where the tops of the fencing posts are completely underwater. As far as effective use of the land, a Dog Park is normally occupied 85% of the time and in all types of weather, hot or cold, rain or shine, windy or calm.
The American Veterinary Medical Association, a membership organization, published a study of their members in 2007 that 37.2% of US households own a dog, and most have more than one dog. This is up slightly from their 2001 study of 36.1% of US Households owning a dog.
www.avma.org/reference/marketstats/ownership.asp
What is a Dog Park?
A dog park is a clearly defined location where dog owners can safely and legally exercise and socialize their dog’s off-leash in a controlled environment. Generally, they are enclosed with some type of fencing to prevent or restrict the dog from leaving the designated area.
Off-leash dog parks provide a social setting in which people can gather and interact in friendship. Dog parks are places where dog owners and non-dog owners can delight in the entertaining and interesting interaction of dogs at play. People somehow find it easier to converse with others with dogs as the initial focus, breaking down the usual social barriers that make people in our society perceive others as "strangers."
Dogs improve people's health and increase resistance to disease by providing companionship and unconditional love. Dogs give people something to care for, providing pleasurable activity, such as exercise and providing a source of constancy in our changing lives, stimulate by providing comfort with touch, and being a pleasure to watch.
Dog parks reduce the likelihood that dogs will be let loose in park areas where they could interfere with other park users such as bicyclists, skate-boarders, rollerblading, hikers, and children at play. Providing separate areas for dogs to exercise, segregates dog owners from other users and reduce the risk of collisions, etc. Years of experience at dog parks across the country indicate that dogs are less aggressive in open areas because they are on neutral territory and not constrained by their leashes. Dog Parks allow dogs to learn socialization skills, provides exercise opportunities, tend to bark less in public, and tend to be less destructive at home.
Dedicated dog parks improve public health by keeping dog waste confined to one area. Peer pressure encourages dog owners to pick up after their dogs and keep the park clean. Dog parks provide a centralized area to provide information on dog health, veterinary services, boarding, training, etc.
We are seeking additional volunteers to join our Green Plan Sub-Committee to help create a Dog Park within the former Golf Course.
Please visit our website at www.bark9.com or email me at fred@bark9.com chair of the Green Plan Dog Park Sub-Committee.
On January 26, 2005, former City of Houston Mayor Bill White appointed the Animal Protection Task Force to study the problems associated with the City’s stray pet population and make recommendations for a community-wide initiative to better protect animals and citizens.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.houstontx.gov/health/Animal%20Protection%20TF%20%20REPORT.pdf
Page 26 Item #3 from the above report discusses the reason why Dog Parks are important to Houston and Harris County which is quoted below:
“Dog Parks: The Task Force commends the development of public dog parks in Houston and Harris County, where pet owners may take their dogs to play and exercise. Pet behavior problems (and consequent pet abandonment) are often caused by lack of exercise, insufficient socialization, and neglect by owners. Dog parks directly address these needs and help compensate for the negative side effects of City leash laws. The Task Force recommends the designation of a “dog park and pet-friendly venue” position with the City Parks Department, whose responsibilities will be the expansion and multiplication of dog parks and other pet-friendly venues in all areas of the City.”
We don't need another Dog Park! There already is a dog park less than 3 miles away and it is often in deplorable condition! Dog owners allow their dogs to jump on others, chase children, and defecate all over without picking up after their animals. These owners have already shown they cannot abide by the rules and clean up after their dogs as shown by the terrible conditions at Bay Area Park. Several other cities locally have withdrawn their plans to have dog parks after seeing the terrible conditions these dog owners have left the park in Clear Lake. These dog parks are a huge waste of money for a very limited number of residents.
ReplyDeleteChildren should not be allowed in dog parks! If they are they certainly shouldn't be running.
DeleteLet’s pick apart your comment Mr. Geezer.
ReplyDeleteBy your reasoning, if that is the correct term to use, if we have one Dog Park less than 3 miles away, then we do not need any additional Ball Fields either, (I do not advocate not building more Ball Fields). We have different types of Ball fields at City & County Parks in and around the Clear Lake Area as well as the CCISD School Ball Fields that our tax dollars built. Ball fields stay vacant about 85% up to 95% of the time. Generally, the School Ball Fields are vacant throughout the summer when school in not in session.
Ball fields located at Bay Area Park, Kipper Mease Sports Complex, Clear Lake Park, and Dads Ball Fields. Sylvan Rodriguez Park has 2 Lacrosse Fields and they are about to build a third one there and it will be lighted. A RFP (Request for Proposal) has already been issued and bidding has already started. The City of Houston (COH) Website Project Number is F-000704 and it can be found on the COH Website.
I guess we need to close down all of the schools in the area, since many kids do not obey school rules. Fights break out at schools, and guns & knives are brought in, and some schools have metal detectors, yet I have not seen a Metal Detector to enter the Dog Park.
As far as a limited number of people using the Park, why is it in such deplorable condition as you claim, if it is so seldom used?
I have witnessed as many as 400 Persons using the Bay Area Park Dog Park during the day when I was there to report to Harris County how many persons were using the Park on a weekend day and as many as 200 persons on a week day, mainly in the Mornings and evenings when was cooler.
The Dog Park is for Dogs not for children. The children’s playground is next to the Fenced Dog Park. If the dogs are chasing children, it may because the children and or adults want that to happen. However, if the dogs are in fact chasing the children, then the adults are not supervising / paying attention to their children as they should be.
If it is in deplorable as you assert, it is because their human companions are not cleaning up after their K9 Companions. However, I contend, it is not as bad as you have you have stated, but enjoyed by many residents of the Clear Lake Area and surrounding area. I have talked with many residents from Pasadena, Friendswood, & Baytown, who have their own 5 acre Dog Park and residents of Galveston County – Texas City, League City, La Marque, Hitchcock, and Galveston, and they enjoy coming to the park, since they have been repeat attendees, since Galveston County has no Dog Park presently.
If there is so much dog waste, why are people returning again and again, if the area is so deplorable? The Dog Park is a well used and frequented by many with dogs and it is quite crowed on weekends, so it is a well used park.
It is always fascinating to make statements that un-named sources say this or that or other cities have pulled plans from building Dog Parks, without quoting a source of the information or being specific about what cities, or what their actual reason why, if they were actually going to build a Dog Park.
Maybe you could quote an article from an online newspaper that would back up your assertions. However, since private funds are going to be used to build the Dog Park, and there are no plans presently to use public funds or city taxes, then what is your real objection, since your money is not being used?
May all of your close encounters be friendly ones, especially the four legged ones!
I like the idea of a dog park, especially since I play Frisbee with my dog on the green space. The park on Bay Area has gone downhill, and I prefer not to make the drive since my dog doesn't really care about playing with other dogs. But, having a "legal" area within walking distance to take my well-behaved dog off leash for his exercise is a welcome idea for me.
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