A contingent of neighborhood dog owners voiced complaints at a recent Community Board 8 Parks Committee meeting. They are calling for officials to extend off-leash hours for dogs, and say they are being ticketed for dogs not being leashed only minutes after the permitted times, from 6 to 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
One resident, Becky Spector, spoke up against the current hours saying the morning hours conflict with her need to get her children ready for school in the morning and that she doesn't feel comfortable alone in the park at night. She feels current regulations reflect a mistrust of dog owners by park officials. "We're not going to let a dog off leash if it's uncontrollable or if our dog doesn't come when called, so I think the assumption is like we're not responsible," said Spector.
She and other dog owners say they feel persecuted with a glut of ticketing off-leash dogs when there is more severe crime that deserves focus.
Officials from Central Park Conservancy say they are sympathetic to the concerns of dog owners, but that it is a difficult act to balance. In addition to trying to appease the different constituencies within the park, the Conservancy's vice president for operations noted that dog runs would be an aesthetic blight on the park. "I haven't seen a dog run yet that really looks good," he said. "It's barren areas. It's woodchips. It's dust."
Read the original article here.
Follow our Pinterest Board, Dogs of Central Park.