tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63017502718501555522012-02-13T18:30:36.992-08:00Unleashed dogs in NYC parks: information and sources.credo-nynoreply@blogger.comBlogger4321100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-49264369849799149952012-02-13T16:33:00.000-08:002012-02-13T18:30:37.003-08:00

Central Park at about 4 P.M. today, just north of the Children's Zoo* * *Yesterday we posted a link to an article, by a clueless New York Times reporter, on a leash controversy at a Connecticut nature preserve and how in New York City's parks the issue has been resolved. Here are two of the more thoughtful comments:I'm sure many dog owners consider themselves nature lovers, but I *know* that

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-35075212347665368342012-02-12T04:36:00.000-08:002012-02-12T04:50:01.807-08:00

An uneducated article written by Lisa Foderaro about a Connecticut preserve:In New York City, years of restive debate were mostly quieted in 2007, when the Parks and Recreation Department announced that dogs would be allowed off leash in many large parks 9 p.m. to 9 a.m., making official what had been an accepted practice. Adrian Benepe, the parks commissioner, said that dog owners made parks

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-85937982413194308112012-02-11T16:24:00.000-08:002012-02-11T16:30:18.406-08:00

A San Francisco Chronicle blog chronicles precisely the type of behavior, and attitude, that by now ought to be familiar to Prospect Park visitors.And read the comments too.

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-52858770506293023272012-02-09T19:13:00.000-08:002012-02-09T19:21:22.181-08:00

Right in the TV studio:The owner was It was supposed to be one of those feel-good segments on a local television newscast: A rescued dog. A grateful owner. The hero firefighter who pulled the dog from the ice. But that's not how it turned out.The dog, an Argentine mastiff named Gladiator Maximus, attacked Kyle Dyer, anchorwoman at NBC's KUSA Denver affiliate, during a live, in-studio segment on

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-5656568359135476502012-01-31T18:57:00.000-08:002012-01-31T19:00:39.997-08:00

The San Francisco Chronicle reports:A Montara man walking two lapdogs off leash was hit with an electric-shock gun by a National Park Service ranger after allegedly giving a false name and trying to walk away, authorities said Monday.Read it all here. Cops in New York City would never do it--that is, to dog owners. To peaceful demonstrators, yes; dog owners, no.

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-63005139407602552472012-01-25T19:34:00.000-08:002012-01-25T20:08:17.240-08:00

We received the following in response to our complaint that 311 and PEP were sayiing that during the winter off-leash began in Prospect Park at 5:00 P.M.:Thank you for alerting us to the 311 misinformation regarding off –leash hours in Prospect Park. We appreciate your concern.I have spoken to Josephine Pittari, Chief of Operations for Prospect Park, who reports that years ago, we did have summer

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-6377782915297980602012-01-16T17:58:00.001-08:002012-01-16T18:04:58.717-08:00

According to this article in The New York Times, Prospect Park Alliance, Prospect Park's fundraising arm previously headed by Tupper Thomas (and now headed by Emily Lloyd, the current park administrator), indirectly received $4 million from disgraced former state senator Carl Kruger, to pay for the skating rink.Good going, Tupper.

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-41142068382182340182012-01-14T16:54:00.000-08:002012-01-14T17:10:19.229-08:00

A letter in today's San Francisco Examiner:If you walk down the sidewalk swinging a 6-foot (or longer) chain over your head, the San Francisco police will arrive to put a stop to that threateningly anti-social behavior.But if instead of swinging a chain, you clip a dog to one end of the chain and clear a 6-foot swath of sidewalk out of your way, the behavior is not generally thought to be

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-51469243332854903632012-01-09T18:40:00.000-08:002012-01-09T18:51:54.330-08:00

A number of years (how many is disputed) before dogs were legally allowed to roam the parks unleashed, Prospect Park in effect did not enforce the leash law between 9 P.M. and 9 A.M. on the Peninsula Meadow, Long Meadow, and the Nethermead; except that, during Eastern Standard Time and only on the Nethermead, they were allowed loose beginning at 5 P.M. The official off-leash rules allow dogs to

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-73645351666522844312011-12-11T08:21:00.000-08:002011-12-11T08:41:12.377-08:00

Under the headline, "As Dog Population Grows, a City Crackdown LoomsNew rules could put dogs on a tighter leash in San Francisco", an article in the Dec. 8 San Francisco Bay Citizen observes:Proposals are expected to move forward in 2012 for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area — national park land within the city that includes Crissy Field, Fort Funston and Ocean Beach — that would greatly

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-21353282629448851512011-12-01T09:55:00.000-08:002011-12-01T09:58:56.462-08:00

The dog didn't get shot; it did the shooting.A MAN was rushed to hospital after he was shot in the bum — by his dog.The 46-year-old victim and a pal were duck hunting when the mutt stepped on his master's gun and accidentally fired at his behind.The unnamed American man was just 10ft from the shotgun when the "excited" pet sent 27 pellets thundering into his rear on Great Salt Lake in Utah. They

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-24241922962411681912011-11-30T11:45:00.000-08:002011-11-30T11:56:07.816-08:00

The other day we posted an article about conflicts between dogs and runners in Central Park. Now see this AP news item about some pit bulls apparently let loose by their owner:A San Diego County runner who said he had chunks torn from his legs by pit bulls said he thought he would die during the mauling."I was dripping blood from all over — my shirt, socks, shoes," Richard Garritson, 21, told

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-68071128872913943062011-11-24T10:31:00.001-08:002011-11-24T11:23:47.791-08:00

Here is an article from the Wall Street Journal (of all places)reporting about collisions between runners and unleashed dogs on Central Park's roadways. One injured runner, Nancy Chilton, is now suing the DPR and the Central Park Conservancy.While serious accidents with dogs are rare, cyclists said, a handful occur every year on Central Park's increasingly crowded roadway, the 6.1-mile loop

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-33749457417786467712011-11-12T21:31:00.000-08:002011-11-13T17:55:19.874-08:00

More proof that the Parks Enforcement Patrol doesn't give summonses to dog owners:I was walking past the Peninsula Meadow on Friday at about 1:30pm. These folks were running their dog off the leash when a patrol car drove across the grass towards them. I assumed that the two officers would issue a ticket. Instead, they gave the woman a pamphlet with the offleash rules. The entire encounter took

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-56246608857257096572011-10-27T20:09:00.000-07:002011-10-27T20:18:44.528-07:00

While if you did it almost certainly wasn't in Prospect Park, check this out:Brooklyn clergy will be partnering with the Brooklyn District Attorneys’ Office, New York State Office of Court Administration, the Legal Aid Society and the NYC Police Department to implement Project Safe Surrender on December 2 and 3, 2011 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. What is Project Safe SurrenderProject Safe Surrender (

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-22372089216760959402011-10-26T14:24:00.000-07:002011-10-26T14:48:07.776-07:00

Last Friday around 2:30 P.M. there were two PEP cars parked on Wellhouse Drive close to West Drive, their drivers engaged in deep conservation. I walked past them and saw at least two unleashed dogs running around the peninsula, so I returned to the two PEP cars and asked one of the agents, a white woman in the car with plate no. 22365, whether dogs were allowed to be unleashed then. She said,

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-24940540059011638102011-10-12T03:01:00.000-07:002011-10-12T03:07:42.232-07:00

Of course they're never allowed there, leashed or unleashed. Try telling that to the dog owners or the people who supposedly enforce the leash law. Received from our correspondent yesterday (Tueday):The first four videos were all shot within less than 5 minutes of each other. Despite the 8 signs surrounding the baseball fields at Prospect Park stating that dogs (leashed or unleashed) are

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-23548567308791119202011-09-13T11:12:00.000-07:002011-09-13T11:17:32.083-07:00

Sunday around 9:30 A.M. there were at least two dogs running loose on the Ft. Tilden beach, which as we've pointed out repeatedly is part of Gateway National Park and so dogs shouldn't even be there at all this time of year. Here is one and its inconsiderate, scofflaw owner:

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-41965405515889577012011-09-10T20:15:00.000-07:002011-09-10T20:19:48.706-07:00

For macing a passer-by who complained.Petre Civan, 30, was walking his dog at 31st Street and Ditmars Boulevard at about 11:30 a.m. on Sept. 5 when a 50-year-old stranger asked why the dog wasn’t on a leash, authorities said.“I told him to back up and relax, calm down! If he didn’t back up, I would spray him,” Civan allegedly told cops.“He got too close, and I sprayed him.”It doesn't say whether

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-20131441253268424282011-09-01T13:56:00.001-07:002011-09-01T14:04:01.007-07:00

There is little question that Plumb Beach is the worst park in the National Park Service system. Conditions there are so bad that rangers at Jacob Riis Park once told me that they all refer to it as the "Wild West". The historic bathroom building there has been closed for decades and is falling apart, the rules on the newly erected signs are disregarded on a regular basis, and the small wooded

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-30156593452663828572011-08-31T12:17:00.000-07:002011-08-31T12:32:11.911-07:00

And this blogger seems to bragging about it. Remarkably, one picture of the dog is headed "The Ramble is the most popular place for bird watchers and where more than 250 species can be spotted." It could not have occurred to this inconsiderate nincompoop that unleashed dogs are never permitted in the Ramble precisely because they drive away both birds and bird-watchers. Hat-tip to Christina.

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-82512301042680708992011-08-30T19:58:00.001-07:002011-08-30T20:01:52.266-07:00

Between about 6 and 7 P.M. today we saw 8 dogs on Plumb Beach east of the rest area. Seven were unleashed and none of them belonged there. They weren't actively bothering the sanderlings and other feeding birds, but the birds still flew off when the dogs were anywhere nearby. Here is just one of the dogs (and its owner).

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-17911436038987476672011-08-28T12:39:00.001-07:002011-08-28T12:47:12.873-07:00

We took a 90-minute walk in the southwest corner of Prospect Park (for lack of any open alternative), from Park Circle around the left side of the lake to the Boathouse and back. We saw fewer than 20 dogs, but more than half were unleashed, with at least two on the Nethermead and four on the Peninsula Meadow, including these two near the Maryland Monument. Several of the unleashed dogs were pit

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-79427000257530251192011-08-23T15:30:00.001-07:002011-08-23T15:33:23.457-07:00

Parkrunner left the following comment, but we are putting it in a post separately as well: My partner was attacked by a large white dog on the lower level of Riverside Park at 81st Street, just entering the tunnel to go up, at about 11:45 this morning (Tuesday). The woman walking 2 large white dogs had them on leashes but could not control them well. She refused to give her name, and my partner

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-66047031081767094552011-08-22T18:43:00.000-07:002011-08-22T18:49:31.995-07:00

When we hiked in Harriman a few weeks we came across at least half a dozen dogs, all but one unleashed. So the following from Datnioides was no surprise: Dogs are supposed to be walked on a six foot leash in Harriman State Park (Bear Mountain). However, this numpty is brazenly breaking the state park rules, bragging about it on his website, and encouraging others to do the same. With little to

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-62405832315587086112011-08-07T11:22:00.000-07:002011-08-07T11:27:31.095-07:00

Dognapping women claim lost terrier as own, leaving Brooklyn doctor dogless, devastatedA Brooklyn doctor has launched a frantic hunt for his missing pooch after little Winston was apparently doggynapped by three women who convinced a cop he belonged to them.Michael Reinhardt's bizarre tale began Friday night when his West Highland white terrier got spooked by another dog's flashing collar in

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-75389174859940671432011-08-03T19:42:00.000-07:002011-08-03T19:51:00.463-07:00

From the May 28, 2011 Sunday New York Times metropolitan section, under the headline "Nice Doggie":Q. A recent circular I got from the post office said that May 15 to 21 was National Dog Bite Prevention Week. How likely are New York City dogs to chomp on letter carriers?A. Relatively likely, judging by a United States Postal Service list of the cities with the most dog attacks on letter carriers

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-43389791298802360372011-08-02T20:17:00.000-07:002011-08-02T20:21:33.893-07:00

As we have pointed out ad nauseam, Plum Beach in Brooklyn is part of Gateway National Park, so dogs are not permitted at all on the beach from March through the summer, and must be leashed the rest of the time. And for good reason--it is a nesting area for endangered bird species. Of course--not that it would make any difference-- there are no signs. And of course there's no enforcement.

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-4739000495076478162011-08-01T09:29:00.000-07:002011-08-01T10:39:54.388-07:00

Catch this video, on the New York Times website, about preserving Jamaica Bay as a bird refuge. It is obvious that the reporter is abysmally ignorant; there are lots of birds on the bay worth preserving, but nearly all of the images are of Canada geese, pretty much a pest species whose numbers New York City is trying to reduce drastically because of the species' propensity for being sucked into

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-29982297520399946432011-07-31T12:06:00.000-07:002011-07-31T12:11:23.280-07:00

Little girl bends down to pet a dog, undoubtedly gets her face too close, is bitten, and winds up in the hospital. These things happen, you say. Except that this happened at a New York City playground. According to this report on CBS, no charges will be filed against the owner because the dog was tied up. So what? There's a reason dogs are never allowed--on or off-leash--in playgrounds. So

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-30139753726267896532011-07-16T19:15:00.000-07:002011-07-16T19:19:44.362-07:00

An upper west side red-tailed hawk snatched someone's pet cat. The cat's OK. So what we need is a few red-tails in Prospect Park at dog time.

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-38026456843969657222011-07-07T20:16:00.000-07:002011-07-07T20:24:04.996-07:00

It's dog on dog at the Hudson River Park dog run:Owners of pint-sized pups are howling mad because huge mongrels are chewing up their beloved pets at the Hudson River Park dog run.And now neighborhood canine lovers are hounding local officials to create a second facility for smaller dogs."Imagine going up against Muhammad Ali. They cannot defend themselves!" growled Lynn Pacifico of Greenwich

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-82065653892856608572011-06-29T09:47:00.000-07:002011-06-29T09:55:18.335-07:00

From today's Daily News.How exactly does a dog "get loose" from a backyard? Dogs--to my knowledge--unlike deer or cats don't jump over fences. Did a human being open the gate and let the dog out? Or maybe the dog is smart enough to open the gate itself, and the human owner did not bother outwitting the dog. In either case, one would hope that this is going to court, and that the owner (or

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-69478084671227645592011-06-27T20:39:00.000-07:002011-06-27T20:43:21.109-07:00

In tomorrow's New York Post (and doubtless to be reported elsewhere as well).A 7-year-old girl who ran into the street to escape a loose dog is fighting for her life after she was hit by a school bus in Queens, cops and witnesses said today.The unidentified girl was struck shortly before 4 pm when she darted into traffic at Craft Ave and 258th Street in Rosedale. . . . Horrified witnesses said

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-70529347917540164742011-06-11T19:11:00.000-07:002011-06-11T19:22:44.892-07:00

Washington [State] Dog Pack Kills 100 Animals, Terrorizes Town A "bloodthirsty" pack of dogs has killed about 100 animals in the past few months while eluding law enforcement and volunteers in northeastern Washington state, residents and authorities said.. . .Most recently, the dogs killed a 350-pound llama Tuesday night. They've also killed goats and other farm animals.So far, no humans have

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-18004626777321865202011-06-10T09:52:00.000-07:002011-06-10T09:53:57.043-07:00

See this report about an Upper East Side dog run.Hat-tip to Christina.

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-82123814849058806762011-06-06T14:22:00.000-07:002011-06-06T14:40:33.147-07:00

Two items from yesterday's Times that need to be read together. First, under the headline "‘For the Dogs’ Has a Whole New Meaning": Lisa Cornish is rattling off today’s menu:Pan-seared duck with brown rice and blueberry compote.Roasted turkey with butternut squash and russet potatoes.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifSalmon with black-and-white quinoa.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifDelish

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-15804253198735313642011-06-03T15:14:00.000-07:002011-06-03T15:16:46.418-07:00

It's prime season for migrating shorebirds and the unleashed dogs at Plum Beach:As we've pointed out repeatedly, Plum Beach is part of Gateway National Park, and no dogs at all are allowed on the beach--leashed or unleashed--beginning March 15. But even if it weren't, the last time we checked Plum Beach was in New York City, where--except in designated areas of the parks, which Plum Beach most

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-28026950835901513892011-06-01T08:16:00.000-07:002011-06-01T08:19:56.291-07:00

Here, from the San Francisco Examiner, is the story of dog, legally unleashed in a public park, that attacked and killed a smaller dog. The owner of the killer proceeded to leash his dog and depart the scene. As in New York, unleashed dogs are required to be able to respond to voice commands.

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-70791461525940641132011-05-30T06:00:00.000-07:002011-05-30T06:04:10.001-07:00

A four-year-old is dead in Brooklyn, a victim of the family dog. News reports are here and http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/05/30/2011-05-30_neighbors_tot_often_alone_with_killer_dog.html. The breed of the dog, a Cane Corso, is the same breed as the feral dog wandering around Prospect Park.Of course, that doesn't mean the Prospect Park dog is dangerous.Hat-tips to Christina and

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-50758491477725803442011-05-21T19:20:00.000-07:002011-05-21T19:22:09.476-07:00

About scofflaw dog owners letting their dogs loose in Prospect Park where and when they shouldn't. See the pictures posted here.

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-71579937663560369312011-05-20T03:21:00.000-07:002011-05-21T19:11:27.643-07:00

It's National Dog Bite Prevention Week ... Who Knew? . . .According to [Rebecca] Katz, [chief of the city's Animal Care and Control Department], dog bites are indeed up in San Francisco, which probably doesn't help the off leash advocates with their current cause. Over the last two years, there were 766 reported bites. That included 71 single nips, 441 single bites, and 22 maulings, according to

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-69016082298842693422011-05-10T18:03:00.000-07:002011-05-10T18:22:45.778-07:00

For the first time in at least year, I was in Central Park this morning , watching birds with a group. The experience was unpleasant, to say the least. We saw five unleashed dogs in the Ramble, just between 7:30 and 7:45. Dogs are never permitted to be unleashed there. Here is one set:There used to be signs around Turtle Pond saying dogs were not permitted. They also used to be ignored, and

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-41140502402311848822011-05-08T18:45:00.000-07:002011-05-08T18:58:38.172-07:00

Our masthead features one of the few dogs legally in Green-Wood Cemetery. The cemetery has a strict "no pets" policy, enforced by ordinarily vigilant guards. This one got by today; the owner must have hid it when she drove in. And it takes a special kind of scofflaw, even for a dog owner, to let your dog loose in a cemetery, as this inconsiderate moron did. This video will win no prizes for

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-91184055710404198102011-05-04T18:00:00.000-07:002011-05-04T18:12:43.864-07:00

"Canine conflict: Proposal to restrict off-leash dogs on federal parklands has owners howling and environmentalists cheering" Read the whole thing, a long article in the San Francisco Bay Guardian, here.* * *Last week the New York City Council Committee on Parks and Recreation held hearings on the Parks Enforcement Patrol program, particular the distribution of PEP officers among the boroughs.

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-15512908935248693862011-05-03T18:51:00.000-07:002011-05-03T18:55:55.970-07:00

At the Prospect Park dog beach, a dog was swimming after a goose in the water--that's not allowed under the off-leash regulations, but there's nobody around to enforce it--and for some reason the moron dog owner decided to jump in and recapture the dog. Here's the video. Hat-tip to Christina and Winston.

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-37724993495442350772011-05-03T08:30:00.000-07:002011-05-03T08:32:54.995-07:00

Here is a link to a Daily Mail article reporting on the study. The article is entitled "Wildlife's worst friend: Dogs 'wreak havoc on habitats and threaten endangered species'"

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-85749286675895311072011-05-02T09:54:00.000-07:002011-05-02T09:56:51.279-07:00

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/05/01/EDEI1H59P5.DTLLeash the dogs at Bay Area parksSunday, May 1, 2011The Bay Area's biggest federal park has taken on an unwinnable topic: curbing dogs along the cliffs, paths and beaches overlooking the bay and ocean. Some of the region's most beautiful outdoors comes with the roughest politics and toughest decision making.On balance,

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-53935089987791733522011-04-27T12:28:00.000-07:002011-04-27T12:33:11.891-07:00

No reason it shouldn't. This is what happens when you let dogs run loose outside a fenced-in dog run.From an AP dispatch in today's San Francisco Chronicle:Two large dogs have been quarantined after severely mauling an elderly woman and two men in a Los Angeles area park crowded with children.Animal Control Capt. Daniel Pantojo says a male boxer and bulldog mix and a pit bull terrier and Akita

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-12398781155424968082011-04-23T21:17:00.000-07:002011-04-23T21:19:42.497-07:00

From a 4-22-11 post on a blog that reports bird sightings in Brooklyn:I birded the Lullwater and Ravine this fall-like morning.More loose dogs than warblers,

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-14680340313669061152011-04-22T08:25:00.000-07:002011-04-22T08:31:17.376-07:00

It seems that the DPR isn't the only City agency that isn't enforcing dog rules. According to this New York Post article, a lot fewer dog poop tickets are being issued:During fiscal year 2011, which ends June 30, Sanitation Department enforcement agents have issued only 250 violations of the law that requires dog owners to clean up after their pets -- that's a little more than half of the 510

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-78747936858299201342011-04-15T07:56:00.000-07:002011-04-15T07:58:21.946-07:00

Hardly news, but here it is in the Times.

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-44664149047076688352011-04-13T11:20:00.000-07:002011-04-13T11:23:22.886-07:00

Larry Armstrong, a New Mexico man with a history of seizures, was found by the side of the road, mauled by a pack of dogs. "The dogs tried to come back, so we had to use pepper spray to keep them away while the EMTs attended to the victim," sheriff's Lt. Tom Mumford told KOAT television in December. "The dogs, they were downright angry. You could see their ribs sticking out."He was later

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-37459034836826434842011-04-12T11:20:00.000-07:002011-04-12T11:22:26.814-07:00

See this news item on NBC about how to stop dog-on-dog attacks and ask yourself: what is wrong with this picture? The answer is pretty clear: leash all the dogs.

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-25339193309193947192011-04-08T07:36:00.000-07:002011-04-08T07:41:05.517-07:00

Sound familiar? GGNRA is the Golden Gate National Recreation Area:I do thank you, Scott, for responding. But I disagree that excluding dogs from the GGNRA will bring more of them into SF parks. They've already appropriated and saturated SF parks, and most of the ones in the GGNRA are the same dogs, anyway. I completely agree with you that regulating dogwalkers and making them pay for the free

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-59901542791415207052011-04-07T11:35:00.001-07:002011-04-07T11:40:36.544-07:00

An email to two San Francisco municipal officials:I am very concerned about an article in SF Examiner in which you attacked the GGNRA plan to regulate off leash dogs, and in which he as much as stated that the dogs' recreation is more critical than that of the non-dog owning humans. If the majority of recreators in both city parks and GGNRA are dogs and their owners, that's because the dog owners

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-60319362465080916472011-03-29T13:20:00.000-07:002011-03-29T14:22:57.594-07:00

This article in the Post identifies the City's "top dog scofflaw" as a Pennsylvania man who has accumulated over $8,000 in tickets for letting his pit bulls loose in Bronx Park. Of course there's no way he will wind up paying anything like that amount. But the article continues:More than 3,040 lax dog owners were ticketed for letting their dogs roam off-leash in 2009 and 2010, ECB records show.

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-24238915644901007802011-03-21T14:25:00.001-07:002011-03-21T14:30:27.420-07:00

According to this report on ABC news, the dogs were unleashed when they attacked. The owner got them leashed only afterwards.So should the lords of Prospect Park, who refuse to enforce the leash law, at least be advising non-dog owners that they might want to consider carrying dog repellent?It is sad that things have come to this, but we predicted it. We hope the victim sues everyone in sight

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-57515151861188397082011-03-20T17:39:00.000-07:002011-03-20T17:52:18.468-07:00

According to this report in the New York Post, an elderly woman was attacked by a rottweiler--leashed--in Prospect Park yesterday. I guess this proves that the dog should have been off-leash. hat-tip to Christina.* * *Plum Beach today around noon, two unleashed dogs. As we've pointed out repeatedly, Plum Beach is part of Gateway, and no dogs, leashed or unleashed, are permitted on the beach at

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-16099652545423872202011-03-14T08:49:00.000-07:002011-03-14T08:52:06.037-07:00

And over everyone else, for that matter. It's not that there are more of them. It's that they, and their pets, make more noise.The history of the change to New York City's leash law and the hearings that preceded it is no different.

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-13159375864420688462011-03-11T12:48:00.000-08:002011-03-11T12:50:35.457-08:00

http://www.ny1.com/content/top_stories/135388/park-enforcement-officers-say-they-need-more-numbersWhy?

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-63726385382852907192011-03-07T18:01:00.000-08:002011-03-07T18:10:48.669-08:00

According to this article in the March, 2011 "Car and Travel", a monthly publication of the Automobile Club of New York, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says that "more than 40 million Americans take an interest in observing birds". According to the Humane Society, as of the end of 2009 there were approximately 77.5 million owned dogs in the United States and on average, owners have 1.7 dogs

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-23265888061298159072011-02-18T09:10:00.000-08:002011-02-18T13:04:50.981-08:00

In the "Complaint Box" in today's New York Times:Dogs are welcome at urban parks, but the parks are primarily for people, and while the vast majority of dogs are domesticated, acts of aggression by roaming dogs are, unfortunately, not uncommon.Yet, some pet owners routinely flout these policies, their lackadaisical attitudes suggesting that the rules are silly if not unnatural and that anxious

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-49876539888580417012011-02-14T19:58:00.000-08:002011-02-14T20:01:06.607-08:00

According to Utah State University wildlife biologist Julie Young, man’s best friend may not be wildlife’s best steward. Feral and free-roaming domestic dogs may pose a serious ecological threat, she says, yet few studies have explored the topic.Read the rest http://www.usu.edu/ust/index.cfm?article=48717and http://www.care2.com/causes/animal-welfare/blog/mans-best-friend-is-wildlifes-worst-enemy

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-72308685865098006502011-02-07T17:57:00.000-08:002011-02-07T18:09:08.369-08:00

Yesterday at Ft. Tilden, around 9 A.M., three unleashed dogs, including these two. True, they weren't at all threatening. But why can't self-absorbed dog owners realize that the leash laws exist in part because people--and animals--should be able to go about their business without the unwanted attention, and interference, of out-of-control canines?

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-31146202147901343202011-02-04T07:17:00.000-08:002011-02-04T07:19:10.998-08:00

According to this article in the New York Post, incident began when the individual was stopped for walking his dog in a dog-free zone.

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-16058772119649592562011-02-01T12:47:00.000-08:002011-02-01T13:05:24.577-08:00

We've reported before that the Battery Park City Authority is serious about enforcing its leash regulations and has employed PEP agents--legions of them-- to do so. So now we have this fascinating report which involved (1) lots of PEP agents and (2) someone's evident refusal to comply with the leash laws. As to whose, note the phrase in this article: "He has also reportedly argued with PEP

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-40653632861849455642011-01-30T15:06:00.001-08:002011-01-30T15:09:25.282-08:00

From 3:30 to 4:10, just between the beginning of Wellhouse Dr. at West Drive and the bird feeders on Breeze Hill, four unleashed dogs, including one that wandered right up to the fence surrounding the feeder area; it then headed, with its owner, down the path to the Lullwater. Only PEP agent was in a vehicle at the corner of the lake, watching the gulls and ducks, I guess. As usual, all the dog

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-30273353110772062542011-01-27T19:51:00.000-08:002011-01-27T20:07:03.748-08:00

This typically inconsiderate moron, at the southeast corner of the Sheep Meadow, evidently couldn't yak on his cellphone and walk the dog at the same time. Or perhaps he thought the dog had a hands-free leash.

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-18149003560648650912011-01-25T17:59:00.000-08:002011-01-26T09:04:38.533-08:00

Crossed paths with 7 unleashed dogs during a brief stroll through Prospect Park this afternoon. As expected, the only Parks Enforcement Patrol officers in the park were sitting in a car next to Prospect Lake. They were supposedly protecting people from falling through the ice, but I came across 6 teens playing on the ice in front of the Boathouse (where there weren't any PEP officers). One kid

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-40911061855539146222011-01-22T19:14:00.000-08:002011-01-22T19:16:18.304-08:00

Parks Department is "unaware" of any law barring dogs from killing rats in public parks But then they seem to blissfully unaware, or are unwilling to enforce, the rule barring them from killing birds. Basically, whatever unleashed dogs and their owners do is OK.

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-68449234612139020112011-01-19T15:53:00.000-08:002011-01-19T16:03:43.244-08:00

From the Gothamist, a disturbing video of a dog killing a rat in Washington Square Park--one of the dog's 10-15 victims. This happened at night, so if the dog had an owner, the dog was off-leash illegally. Hat-tip to Christina.And from the Daisy Parker blog, a photograph of a dog squatting in a playground, post like this is some sort of joke. Hat-tip to Winston.

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-409646420792565462011-01-15T15:15:00.000-08:002011-01-15T23:11:20.698-08:00

At 1pm there were two offleash dogs running up and down the hillsides in the Lullwater. I told two rangers about it and they drove to the opposite end of the Lullwater trail to intercept the scofflaws. Not sure if they ticketed the dog owner.At 1:30pm there were 4 offleash dogs on the Nethermead Meadow.This woman, seen near the Ravine at 2pm, is typical of the Park Slope dog owner. I've seen her

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-18085082097454133552011-01-13T07:39:00.000-08:002011-01-13T07:46:27.204-08:00

From a post on a birding website:I am reaching out on behalf of the Wild Bird Fund to ask if anyone has seen any flocks of Ruddy Ducks in the past few days? WBF has a Ruddy that had been attacked by a dog in Central Park, but now, after a few weeks of recovery from the puncture wounds, is ready for release. But now the Ruddy Ducks are gone from CP! Perhaps this will convince the politically

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-674591837463597892011-01-12T12:18:00.000-08:002011-01-12T13:01:06.550-08:00

From Datnioides:According to this report on the Brooklynian forum, there is a pony-sized Cane Corso mastiff dog living the feral life in Prospect Park. Of course, there are rabies infected raccoons running around the same area of Prospect Park. What could possibly go wrong?No one seems to think this is a particularly serious problem, especially given the fact that the dog in question is an

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-55541367795687267032011-01-11T19:19:00.001-08:002011-01-11T19:20:44.882-08:00

The owner admits she was breaking the rules by letting her dog loose in the lake, but has suggestions for improving the park's rescue of animals in distress.

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-26100710454770526592011-01-09T12:15:00.000-08:002011-01-10T06:26:15.447-08:00

I don't understand why PEP officers seem to have a difficult time ticketing dog owners. Whenever I go into Prospect Park I come across lots of unleashed dogs. It doesn't matter what time of day of day of week. Yesterday I walked from the Picnic House to Prospect Lake and back, beginning an hour past off-leash hours. I encountered 8 unleashed dogs.As soon as I entered the park at the Picnic House

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-18063147403656929012011-01-05T19:53:00.000-08:002011-01-05T20:01:35.501-08:00

It's all in black and white at the DPR's website, http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_about/rules_and_regulations/rr_1-04.html§ 1-04(i(2) of the DPR's Rules and Regulations provides, in relevant part:Unless specifically prohibited herein or by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (“DOHMH"), properly licensed dogs wearing a license tag and vaccinated against rabies pursuant to the laws of the

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-62896814295921138882011-01-04T12:28:00.000-08:002011-01-04T18:23:31.077-08:00

According to the Prospect Heights Patch, an unleashed poodle drowned on Sunday morning while chasing a bird on Prospect Park lake. Tony Chiappelloni, president of Fido in Prospect Park, is quoted as saying that it wasn't the owner's fault since "Because of the fog, the owner didn't realize how close she was to the lake""The woman who had the dog was being responsible, but you couldn't see

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-90186461081515450282010-12-30T10:35:00.000-08:002010-12-30T11:10:19.402-08:00

We missed it when it was posted, but according to this item in the awalkinthepark blog, in October a small dog was fatally mauled by two large dogs in a Carroll Gardens dog park.[The small dog's owner]said Robert Harney is the owner of the killer dogs, named Jack and Ginger, and that the deadly attack took place because he let them run off their leash* * *Prospect Park this morning.9 A.M. , Payne

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-54193028650167631332010-12-27T13:17:00.000-08:002010-12-27T13:22:59.219-08:00

In a snowshoe walk around Prospect Park lake early this afternoon we encountered five dogs, three of them unleashed.And my friend told me this story. He was in Prospect Park this past August when he saw an unleashed dog, a pit bull he thought, harassing a horse. This went on for a while, with the dog owner calling to the dog, and eventually the horse threw the rider, a young woman. EMS was

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-4453280418251852332010-12-25T17:17:00.000-08:002010-12-25T17:26:03.991-08:00

...when you can let your dog loose any time you want? Yesterday afternoon about 1:30, just around we saw two unleashed dogs. One owner let his dog loose near the Wellhouse, and the two proceeded to the Maryland Monument to play. As you can see, there were small children around and (not that it matters legally) the dog was under no discernible control of the owner.The other was wandering around

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-9514715124771795902010-12-23T14:27:00.000-08:002010-12-23T14:29:40.964-08:00

Two unleashed dogs, east of Central Park Pinetum, this afternoon at about 3 P.M. These people are shameless. And of course no law enforcement around.

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-21271063367134334782010-12-21T12:26:00.000-08:002010-12-21T12:28:37.465-08:00

According to this news story, Golden Gate National Recreation Area in San Francisco is the only national park that allows dogs to run unleashed, and dogs may soon be leashed there because of the problems this ill-conceived policy has caused.

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-32173089940523560442010-12-18T15:02:00.001-08:002010-12-18T15:06:15.443-08:00

The city has made a final decision not to allow dogs to run free on the lawn in Battery Park, Manhattan Parks Commissioner Bill Castro said this week.Castro said the dogs and their waste would prevent other users from enjoying the large grassy space at Manhattan’s southern tip, which is scheduled to be renovated next summer. . . .Jeff Galloway, a Battery Park City dog owner and CB1 member, said

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-11823852673952450522010-12-15T19:38:00.001-08:002010-12-15T19:48:50.847-08:00

According to this report, when they visit the local dog run in Tompkins Square Park dog owners are carrying knives and other weapons to deter attacks by pit bulls. See also here and here.Didn't the Parks Department, parroting the off-leash lobby, tell us that letting dogs run loose reduces crime and makes neighborhoods safer?Hat-tip to Winston Smith and Christina.

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-84565795433558157262010-12-11T15:42:00.001-08:002010-12-11T15:48:39.026-08:00

According to this article in today's New York Times, hospital admissions for dog bites doubled between 1993 and 2008, with little increase in pet ownership and a far smaller increase in population. The report's author, Anne Elixhauser, a senior research scientist with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, is "at a loss to explain it."Well, we can suggest two possible reasons right off

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-20916768220945764662010-12-07T19:45:00.001-08:002010-12-07T19:46:34.427-08:00

At least one, and probably more the DOPR didn't bother getting tested because the results might contradict the politically correct notion that dogs should be permitted to run free.

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-58629540767889063402010-12-06T13:58:00.000-08:002010-12-06T14:01:19.617-08:00

In a walk around Flushing Meadow Lake yesterday just before noon, we encountered more than half a dozen small dogs, all but one unleashed. They did not stray far from their masters while we were watching, but small loose dogs can cause big problems. One escaped from a carrier on a U.S. Airways flight, bit a flight attendant and a passenger, and caused an unscheduled landing.

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-27647173730486793542010-11-28T05:21:00.001-08:002010-11-28T05:22:48.846-08:00

The owner of the dogs that killed the squirrels was fined $50 for unleashing her dogs. That's all? This must be the tip of iceberg.

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-896794604167272932010-11-25T21:09:00.001-08:002010-11-25T21:10:27.951-08:00

Unleashed dogs are killing squirrels in Washington Square Park. Why are we surprised?

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-77249324812418831832010-11-21T12:26:00.000-08:002010-11-21T12:52:07.089-08:00

About 1:30 on Friday I walked through the Long Meadow along the east side accompanied all the way by this unleashed dog and its scofflaw owner. This police vanwas parked on the east side but its occupants did nothing as dog and owner passed by. On the way, the dog dug a hole by the side of a tree. The dog and owner continued, unleashed, into the Ravine past a sign indicating that dogs must be

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-86342483643068529622010-11-17T14:30:00.000-08:002010-11-17T14:49:44.080-08:00

From our correspondent:The selfishness, stupidity and arrogance of Park Slope dog owners never ceases to amaze me. At the 9th Street entrance to Prospect Park, just behind the Lafayette Monument, is a small triangle of grass. The Prospect Park Alliance has been trying hard to restore that area for a few years. They have planted several small trees, ornamental shrubs, grass and wildflowers. It is

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-30787797643963828272010-11-01T10:30:00.000-07:002010-11-01T10:34:50.534-07:00

In Little Bay Park in Queens, the DOPR has just completed a $500,000 state-of-the-art dog run with three separate, enclosed fields, one for large dogs, one for small dogs, and one where all dogs can mingle. Humans users of the park, including joggers and those who come to admire what is supposedly one of the best views in the City, who need a bathroom must use Port-A-Potties. Read it all here.

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-5853756187782965162010-10-18T07:48:00.000-07:002010-10-18T08:46:30.559-07:00

The owner of a Chinese restaurant entered a fenced yard to deliver a menu and was attacked by three pit bulls, losing an earlobe and nearly his life. The yard had a sign saying "beware of dog". Read it all here and here. It is not clear whether the dogs were chained. The cops don't intend to to prosecute the owner of the house and are even returning his dogs. And New York's "one bite" rule

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-81254020709615157102010-10-15T03:26:00.000-07:002010-10-15T03:31:19.243-07:00

For more than 20 years, dogs have run free on Battery Park’s main lawn early in the morning. The unused grassy area was a place for dogs and their owners to socialize, the only large open space downtown where dogs could run around. But that changed this summer, when Parks Department officers began issuing $150 tickets to dog owners, enforcing a leash policy that had long been ignored.Read it all

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-67280393644156858772010-10-04T18:38:00.001-07:002010-10-04T19:01:58.211-07:00

So some Carroll Gardens guy took his two dogs, who had committed caninicide before,to a fenced dog run where, of course, they did it again. And what, other than that the Carroll Gardens dog run is closer than Prospect Park, was to have prevented him from taking them there?* * *According to this report on CBS last week, the DOH believes that 80% of the City's dogs are unlicensed. What the report

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-23175441498531353632010-08-12T13:26:00.000-07:002010-08-12T13:46:20.646-07:00

A sign at the entrance to Plumb Beach sets out the rules, including that dogs must be leashed at all times. (Since, as we've observed, Plumb Beach is part of Gateway, there ought to be no dogs at all on the beach during the spring and summer, but we'll discuss that another time.) It was no surprise, though, to see these unleashed dogs in the area east of the rest area yesterday from about 6:15-

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-53408546658301416092010-08-06T09:28:00.000-07:002010-08-06T09:34:29.091-07:00

Here is a link to a Crain's New York Business list of the 100 largest cultural institutions in the city, ranked by operating expenses. The Prospect Park Alliance ranks 58th, just three places ahead of the Battery Park City Parks Conservancy, which covers a far smaller area. Enforcement of dog rules is serious in Battery Park City and nil in Prospect Park. Not sure what to make of this.

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301750271850155552.post-6369206209838717992010-08-05T07:17:00.000-07:002010-08-05T08:02:56.417-07:00

As we've written before, Plum(b) Beach in Brooklyn is part of Gateway National Recreation Area. Therefore, pets must be leashed all of the time (as they would in any event under New York City law) and are not allowed on the beach at all between March 15 and September 15? Why? Nesting shorebirds. So of course on late Tuesday evening, we saw four dogs, three leashed and one unleashed. Two of

credo-nynoreply@blogger.com0