Courtesy Hours Redux; Dog Attack in Fort Greene; More Loose Dogs

From one of our Prospect Park correspondents:

It's been several years since I stopped taking regular, early morning jaunts around the park. I stopped because of the unleashed dog problem and I forgot just how insane it gets or maybe there's just a lot more dogs. Anyway, at 9:40 am [Saturday morning], I was sitting on a park bench near Payne Hill . . . . Many dog owners were starting to leave the park, but there were still a couple of dozen off leash dogs on the meadow. Five PEP officers were walking down the path from the Picnic House towards the Ravine. They looked like they just came on duty and paid absolutely no attention to all the dogs that were still unleashed (they didn't even look at them). The dog owners showed no concern for the green uniformed workers.

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And (assuming they haven't deleted the item by the time you read this), from http://generalgreene.wordpress.com/2008/04/13/dogs-fight-for-space-in-fg-park/

Dogs fight for space in FG Park

Looks like the neighborhood dog population is increasing - so much so that the dogs are turning on each other during off-leash hours. One resident reports that her dog was left with serious wounds after a pit bull attack this morning. The President of the park’s pets society sent an email to members saying that this kind of attack is on the increase on account of overcrowding. Meanwhile, the owner of “Bonnie Dolnick” wants to know which dog attacked hers (presumably so she can send the $200 vet bill).

And here are the comments:

on April 14, 2008 at 6:17 am, from lc:

i’ve been going to the park for a couple years with my dog, and unfortunately this happens now and then. the park is getting more and more crowded with dogs though!

on April 14, 2008 at 7:06 am, from Silvia:

I have to say that I agree the park is overcrowded by dogs. I run there and have noticed that it’s getting out of hand. And with all these “free-range” dogs, are the owners still cleaning up after them? I sure won’t feel comfortable spreading my picnic blanket out on the grass come summer…you never know what you’ll be getting yourself into. Don’t get me wrong - I love dogs. But the park’s ecosystem is being increasingly strained and there’s no more room for people and their kids to run and play freely.

I guess the solution to the Ft. Greene problem is to expand the area the dogs may roam unleashed, perhaps to the surrounding neighborhood; maybe even knock down some mansions and let the dogs run free on the lots.
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Central Park, 4 P.M. One unleashed dog crossing East Drive at 68th Street and countinuing west along wooded path. Dog and female owner both white.

6:30PM - 7:00PM, on a short walk from the Nethermead Meadow in Prospect Park, through the Ravine and across the Long Meadow, we encountered the following unleashed dogs:

23, Nethermead Meadow
2, Ravine
13, Long Meadow

All dog owners were white.