No ONE group or interest owns Juniper Valley Park. Enjoyment of the park and facilities, should be SHARED by ALL residents, INCLUDING DOGS AND THEIR OWNERS. Since dogs as pets are perfectly legal, and exercise for the animal essential to it's health and well being, the park should either provide a run for the dogs or allow off leash privileges during acceptable hours. It also socializes a pet to the park environment, the other animals and people, and makes the dog a better park citizen. AND OF COURSE ANY ANIMAL WHO HAS ANY PROPENSITY TO UNSOCIABLE BEHAVIOR SHOULD BE ON A SHORT LEASH AT ALL TIMES FOR OBVIOUS REASONS.
Fair access for off-lead dog walking is in the best interests of the safety and welfare of the community. Training, exercise, conditioning are the real rights for dogs.
because the friendship and love that dogs offer deserves at least a small amount of nurturing freedom in return. No animal is naturally inclined to be heavily restricted from enjoying pure nature.
One of the most important things we can give our dogs is exercise, and without the off leash hours, many dogs, simply would not get enough. Without the release of all that energy on a daily basis, many beloved pets would become impossible to live with in our New York City size apartments. Those of us who are not runners or bicyclists cannot provide what they need just by walking them on a leash. They need to run freely. This is a fact. Many dogs react badly to lack of exercise, and I fear some owners may have no choice but to give them up. The animal shelters of the city are already under a huge burden and this would only make the situation worse.
Those who complain about dogs off leash only use the parks from May to September. Comes October only the dog owners are in the park, making full use of it, rain, shine, storm.... we make it safe by our presence to everyone. People should worry about those who trash the parks during those peak seasons than about dogs off leash and their conscientious owners. We deserve full day off leash areas and off leash hours in the rest off the parks during off peak time.
If people want dogs to be well behaved by "our standards" they HAVE to have off leash times and places. If you do not like dogs ... too bad I do not like children and most people yet I have to live with them in the world. Guess what dogs are not going anywhere either. So you might as well get use to it!
I find that dogs get happy when off the leash. so if we can have an area in the park allowing off the lease it can help keep my dog happy. This also allows natural dog socialising.
Dogs are an essential element of what makes this city so special. Without the off-leash capability, many owners will choose to leave the City, diminishing needed tax revenues.
The City will lose a significant part of its specialness as well as tax revenues.
With so much of our freedom already under assault these days, we urge you not to take away our right to play with and exercise our dogs in the parks leash-free. Wouldn't it be better to live -- as we used to -- in a truly free society? Eliminating this joy of both people and their pets is a pointless exercise that chips away at the crumbling, beautiful, heartiness that was the American lifestyle.
The unofficial off-leash hours in the city's parks are not only utilized by residents of NYC. Dog owners from neighboring counties frequent the park and bestow this priviledge upon their dogs. (I live in Nassau County, and have allowed my dog to happily socialize in Central Park during early morning weekend hours.) It's a shame to see the well running dry in terms of dog-friendly options. These unofficial off-leash hours are a priviledge we, as dog-owners, are thankful to have -- and they must NOT be revoked since they have not been abused.
because the parks are largely empty between 9pm-9am except for morning runner/walkers, who have far more options for excercise than city dogs. This suit is a mean-spirited assault on dogs and dog owners.
I support this position because dogs need exercise and the dogs are also a big park of NYC.
The dogs love to run and play in the park and there owners love to take them there. It is a wonderful therapeutic thing that NY has offered it's citizens for years. If it is taken away it will be a big loss to the dogs, their owners and the city of NY.
NY is known for it's large population of dogs. Tourists are fascinated by how well they all intereact with eachother and the humans around them. They spend a lot of time watching them play and some even take pictures.
Central Park is the only nature we have. If the off leash law is taken awayit will be a big loss to everyone. There will be no place for the dogs to release there energy and this will cause problems in the long run. Some owners will have to leave the city because certain breeds really need to run and Central Park is their only outlet. People really depend on the park and during the off leash hours the park is relatively quiet. Taking this away from Nyers and their dogs will be a big loss to every one. It will create more tension in a city that is already tense enough.
