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Metro parks...another year going to the dogs
 by fredo on 4/28/2008 @ 7:57pm |
Well, just as expected, the nice weather has brought out every irresponsible dog owner in Tacoma. These owners unleash their dogs as soon as they get to the park and whip out one of those lacrosse style tennis ball throwers and proceed with their "exercises." If you ask the owner to put his dog on a leash they look so offended. Never mind the steaming piles of excrement that they imagine nobody witnessed. I'm still waiting for an animal control officer to ticket one of these clueless boobs. In the meantime, don't be surprised if responsible Tacomans stop using the facilities. I prefer my family to play in a poop-free, bite-free environment. |
 by Erik on 4/28/2008 @ 8:05pm | In Seattle, there is a constant war between various dog and pedestrians factions because there are so many people.
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by fredo on 4/28/2008 @ 8:47pm | Erik, I suppose these situations take place all over the country. The public has a right to expect the governing bodies (in this case, Metro Parks) to perform a reasonable amount of policing so that the tax-paying public can enjoy the parks that they have so handsomely paid for. You would not need 24-hr a day observation of all the parks, just a few hundred tickets and the dog owners would probably police themselves. |
 by tacomachickadee on 4/28/2008 @ 8:57pm | Note to dog owners who don't pick up their poop: Not only did we see your dog take a crap while your back was turned, that stuff is a major contaminator of local waterways. PICK IT UP! Ew!
To dog owners who pick up their dog's crap like responsible dog owners: Thank you. You rock. |
by tacomachickadee on 4/28/2008 @ 8:59pm | The above mostly applies to dogs not in their own backyards ... but even to folks whose dogs ARE in their own backyards, think about the Puget Sound and your local creek ... try picking up the poop as much as possible. When it rains, well ... I won't go into any more detail. |
 by jenyum on 4/28/2008 @ 9:50pm | This is definitely a problem. My feeling is that the problem would be greatly relieved by establishing another off-leash dog park, ideally one that is already being used for that purpose, such as Garfield Park. Put a fence between the playground and the dogs and the problem is solved. (OK, maybe also the occasional spot-check for scoop-compliance.)
Or, we could just all continue to snipe at each other with parents and dog-owners both unhappy. I don't think we really have competing interests if both are managed reasonably. |
 by Heather on 4/29/2008 @ 10:52am | Another dog park would be good. As the condo-dwelling population increases, there will probably be more dog owners without yards needing a place to let there dogs play.
Scooping poop is part of responsible dog ownership. Do it! |
by fredo on 4/29/2008 @ 1:59pm | Another off-leash dog park might address some of the problems. However, the kind of dog owners I posted about are the type who treat every park (and every city right-of-way) as an off-leash park. There's definitely a herd mentality at work here. A few dog owners foul up Garfield Park and pretty soon everyone's doing it.
As far as parents and dog-owners sniping at each other, I haven't heard of any dog owners sniping at parents, why would they? We need to make sure that parents can use the parks safely, and the interests of off-leash dog-owners, well, they're just not that relevant. Use the leash and pick up the poop and we can all live in harmony. |
 by intacoma on 4/29/2008 @ 4:11pm | 
little condo dogs have no chance if you have one of these bad boys |
 by AP on 4/29/2008 @ 6:27pm | Public stuff involves too many rules and squabbling, with lack of policing thrown in for good measure. Dogs don't always follow rules. We need a privately owned and operated, for-profit, off-leash facility for dogs, much like the Funzone or Chuck E. Cheese for humans. Leashes mean no running. Dogs that don't run don't smile. Dogs that don't smile bite children. |
by fredo on 4/29/2008 @ 7:27pm | I'm all for "smiling" dogs, whatever that is. The rules in question aren't for the dogs, they're for the owners. This is part of the social contract we engage in as members of a society. People who want to run with their dog, keep the leash on and run!
I'm OK with the Chucky E. Cheese for dogs. The problem dog owners probably wouldn't want to pay, however. |
by jenyum on 4/29/2008 @ 9:25pm | Yeah I guess I was sort of anticipating sniping, there. It was a huge deal in the Bay Area when I moved away about five years ago, between the parents and the dog owners, and I always thought it was a silly debate brought on by mismanaged resources. |
 by escaping slave on 6/12/2008 @ 2:53pm | Perhaps follow the dog and owner home and treat their property the same way. |
 by ensie on 6/12/2008 @ 4:22pm | Dog owners will pay. Look at Marymore Park in Redmond. That place is incredible and has one of the best dog parks in the country. |
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