Play Ballfields!

From a correspondent this morning:

I just got back from Prospect Park. I went for a jog with my kids.

I live by Grand Army Plaza but chose to run around the ball fields instead of the Long Meadow because the Long Meadow is reserved for off-leash dogs till 9am.

The Long Meadow had between 50 and 100 dogs running all over it. However, there were at least 10 off leash dogs on the ball fields. These dog owners were letting (encouraging) their dogs to run all over the ball fields with an utter disregard for the law. These dogs are tripping hazards. I was worried a "good dog" was gonna jump on one of my kids. I really did not feel like confronting these people, not in front of my kids.

But if I would have started running zig zags through the Long Meadow with my 8 year old twins, I am sure I would have gotten an ear full from the "dog people".

I wish the "dog people" would appreciate the fact that when a special area is set up for them to let their dog run wild. It is a place that I chose to stay away from. Can't they let me enjoy the rest of the park .

* * *

This afternoon around 4 at the southwest corner of the lake we saw an unleashed terrier running full tilt in the runner's lane accompanying a fast-riding bicyclist. Rather risky for other bicyclists, runners, and (we'd think) the dog, who stood a good chance of being totaled by one of the above. See thisstory on Fox News:

Watch out for Fluffy and Fido! Cats and dogs are a factor in more than 86,000 serious falls each year, according to the first U.S. government study of pet-related tumbles. . . .

Researchers looked at emergency department reports for 66 U.S. hospitals for 2001 through 2006. They checked patient charts for mentions of dogs and cats involved in nonfatal injuries.

From that, they concluded that about 3 out of every 10,000 people annually suffer fall-related injuries from cats or dogs that are serious enough to send someone to the hospital.

The rate was nearly twice as high for people 75 and older. And women were two times more likely to be injured than men.

Most were quickly treated and released, but nearly 10 percent involved broken bones, internal injuries or other conditions that required hospitalization, the researchers found.

. . .

Dogs were blamed in most of the pet-caused injuries. They tripped people, startled them and pushed or pulled them off balance during a walk. Or they ran away and their owners toppled chasing after them. Their dog toys also caused tumbles.

"A lot of these statistics show the owner does not have complete control of dog," said Lisa Peterson, a spokeswoman for the American Kennel Club, which runs a purebred dog registry and promotes responsible dog ownership.