I love my sticks.
Love them I do.
Get near my sticks,
and I'll come after you!Excuse me while I climb onto my soapbox.
Photographic evidence to the contrary, dog parks are not for dogs. Dog parks are for people who own dogs. Dog Parks are for people who like dogs. Dog Parks are even for people who dislike or are afraid of dogs. Let me explain.
Dog parks appeal to a very wide cross section of the population.
Old, young, rich, poor all attend Dog Park. Even people who don’t have a dog have come to enjoy communing with canines. In fancy talk, dog parks are utilized by a multigenerational, racially, culturally and socio economically diverse cross section of the population. Hint: Adult people who can vote.
Dog parks are a place where humans can drain their four legged friends of a lot of energy - pent up energy that could build up into frustration and/or aggression. A tired dog is usually a good dog. A good dog is easier to train and control. A well behaved dog is a good canine citizen. You don’t want a bunch of angry people running around with frustrated dogs, do you?
If you don’t like dogs or are afraid of them, Dog Parks provide a place where dog owners may run their dogs off leash. This makes them more likely to comply with leash laws elsewhere. Every time a dog relieves itself at Dog Park, it is one less mess for you to step in elsewhere. Don’t get me started on people who don’t pick up their (excuse me) dog poop!
As a responsible dog owner, I comply with regulations regarding the licensing of my dog. Why should it be more difficult to get a dog into Dog Park than to walk down the street with it?
Word on the street is that people who utilize the Fleet Peoples Dog Park are afraid there is a hidden agenda behind all the proposed changes to how the park is used. We are afraid that this is step one of the gradual elimination of dog park.
Please assuage our fears. Don’t let this nationally ranked dog park disappear. Don’t disappoint so many voters. Dog Park just may become the mobilizing issue that gets people involved in government.
Mobilized, registered voters with dogs -- Hmmmm, sounds interesting………..
Off soapbox now.
