I support the Off Leash Policy. Five yrs ago, my dog and I moved to our current home near the Prospect Park to enjoy the off'leash policy which has made for a well adjusted, well socialized, exercised, fit, and emotionally happy/healthy 12 year-old senior dog (and 36 yr old woman.) Animal behaviorists vouch that aggression is bred in dogs that are tied up or are not given enough exercise or socialization. Bad behavior is not characteristic of the dogs who run/play in the parks and who are supervised by their responsible, caring owners who make the committment to wake up before 8am on weekends to provide their dogs with exercise and socialization. This demonstrates a deep dedication to properly care for their dogs. Off Leash Policy breeds a strong community of good-natured dogs AND humans.
Spenser and his mommy live and work in Park Slope Brooklyn because of our off-leash privileges. We pay taxes and support our local community. Please protect our off-leash hours. We take great care of our neighborhood! Thank you!
It seems evident that the parties supporting this efforts are making every attempt to establish a policy which is respectful of communities and yet allow our dogs to enjoy some recreational time that in turn makes our communities just that.
Our dogs are family members. Their health and well-being is essential for ours, too. Socialization, exercise, and opportunity to learn come with off-leash activities in the park. PLEASE, SAVE THIS RIGHT AND FREEDOM!
Off leash hours are important in maintaining deomocracy in New York City. Taking these rights away from dog owners is taking away certain rights for expression and movement that would have severe consequences in the long run.
Off leash is a matter of mental health for not only dogs but their owners. Time spent in the park with a dog is one of the most spiritually uplifting activities available in NYC.
I take for granted that our dog has property to run on. I feel it betters all dogs to have some time to really be a dog in a safe controlled environment to socialize with other dogs.
Dogs permitted to burn up their energy off-leash (in a controlled, supervised environment) prove to be better neighbors to everyone who uses the NYC park system.
Responsible dog ownership in NYC includes exercising and socializing our dogs so dog and human may be happy, healthy and content living together. Off leash hours in city parks help us to maintain our happy, healthy companions. With 20 years of successful off leash policy already behind us not only have our dogs become more healthy and happier but we as citizens are more happy and healthy by making our city parks safer places to be attracting more and more park users at all times of day or night. Please make Off Leash hours in all city parks a permanent part of park regulations.
Deb Caponera
Brooklyn, NY
Please do not take away this right - having a dog in NYC is just about the only palpable thing about living in these cramped quarters. Off lease hours offer socialization and freedom for both dogs and humans.
The city-wide membership of United Action for Animals (UAA) supports off-leash hours as beneficial for the quality of life of the dogs we bring into the world for our selfish purposes. They must at least be afforded every opportunity to thrive. This is a no-brainer.
This comment is in support of amending Section 161.05 of the Health Code to save the off-leash policy for dogs.
There are many reasons for recommending that you save the off-leash policy. I will address just one of them – the social aspect. Off-leash time in the park provides an opportunity for dog people to meet and socialize with other dog people. Frequently the only common denominator is our dogs. We learn tolerance and often gain respect for others whose education, race, age, religion, or economic situation differs from ours. This in turn leads to a safer more civilized city for all.
For this and myriad other reasons, I urge you to adopt the off-leash policy for dogs.
Sincerely yours,
Charlotte M Gemmel
415 Third Street
Brooklyn NY 11215
Off-leash time is of great value to people and their dogs. In addition to the personal benefit to dog owners, it brings great numbers of people into parks like Prospect Park at a time when they would otherwise be quite empty, making the park safer for joggers, walkers and cyclists.
Please establish these rights and clarify these rules. A HUGE proportion of east river parks is devoted to sports fields that get sporadic use. I see signs all over that say NO DOGS- Please support dog owners with more spaces for dogs and even just ONE dedicated area to let them exercise off-leash
Dogs need a place to run around and work off excess energy. Without that people will be surrounded by dogs with no outlet, What good will that do? My dogs go nuts without exercise and misbehave on our walks.
