Unleashed Dogs in Lexington Park

[smoterh.livejournal.com]

I'm posting an open letter (with photos) that I sent to Somerville Aldermen, Mayor and Police Department in regard to unleashed dogs on the Somerville Path, and most recently, inside of Lexington Park.  Those living on or near the path know that almost every afternoon there is a horde of unleashed pets there, despite that a designated off-leash park is only a mile away.

If you think that think that this problem is getting out of hand or have been injured, attacked (like I was) or scared of these dogs, or are just concerned about the safety of our community, I urge you to to support this initiative to get this problem resolved, by writing your Alderman, Mayor or Police Dept.

Ward 5 Alderman, Sean O’Donovan sean@odonovanlaw.com

Ward 6 Alderman, Rebekah Gewirtz info@rebekahgewirtz.org

Mayor of Somerville, Joseph Curtatone mayor@somervillema.gov

Somerville Police Department aide@police.somerville.ma.us

Dear Aldermen, Mayor and Police Dept.

 

Over the past year I’ve been trying to raise awareness about a particular public safety hazard on the Community Path, especially between Willow and Cedar Streets. It should be no surprise that there is a real problem with the amount of unleashed dogs in the area, especially during rush hours.

 

Although I’m grateful to Aldermen and members of the Police Department who have made or encouraged occasional visits to the area to intervene, the fact is that the problem of unleashed dogs is chronic; chronic to a point that everyday, especially during late afternoon, there are about a dozen unleashed dogs that are running amok on the path.  Although this situation has not been contained, this is not the reason for this letter.

 

The real reason is the audacity of irresponsible dog owners, who in the lack of more frequent enforcement of the law, are not only letting their dogs loose on the path, risking the safety of pedestrians and bikers, but also  are starting to bring their unleashed pets into the playground area known as Lexington Park.

 

As a daily user of the path I’ve noticed more and more dogs being let loose in the playground area – while children are present.  I’ve taken several poor photos with my mobile phone (I apologize for the quality) of one instance.  In this particular instance the photos was taken just before the dog ran into the basketball court where 2 boys were playing while the dog started chasing the ball. The kids were frightened and climbed the fence to get away (the owner was present on the playground).  Although the dog probably wanted to play rather than harm, it is still inexcusable behavior and should be prevented.

 

Since the leash laws on the path are rarely enforced, it is to no one’s surprise that such things happen and will continue to happen.  Therefore I urge you for help with this issue, if not for the sake of daily commuters, than for the sake of the kids.

 

I am in no position to ask anything specific of our government or Police Department as I do not know the inner workings of same.  However some suggested action would be:

-more frequent monitoring of the area by Police Dept (especially since an officer can take a look at the situation from their cruiser from either Cedar St, Willow St, or Morrison St parking lot, without getting out of the car)

-issuing of the tickets to when violators are spotted

-strengthening the leash law by increasing fines, or making leash law fines appear on offender’s record.

 

Thank you for your cooperation and here are links to the photos.

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/8313/dog1c.jpg

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/1539/dog2g.jpg (best)

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/5076/dog3k.jpg

 

Sincerely

Hugo Smoter

5 Richardson St., Somerville

Comments

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

PLEASE use an LJ cut!

[lbmango.livejournal.com]

Cut tag please!

moderator note

[ron_newman]

Please put most of this post (the actual letter text) behind an lj-cut. Thanks.

[smoterh.livejournal.com]

Sorry sorry. It is cut.

Alternate solutions

[ringrose.livejournal.com]

Have you approached any of the dog owners about this? Some of them may simply be unaware that their favorite jump-in-your-face-to-say-he-loves-you companion could possibly scare someone. It makes sense to you that this enormous thing with hair and fangs could be dangerous but they probably don't see it that way.

They should know better, but won't unless someone mentions it to them.

Re: Alternate solutions

[smoterh.livejournal.com]

That was my first approach for a while.
After being ignored, being told they don't speak English, or told to f**k off I'm seeking other approaches.

Re: Alternate solutions

[lbmango.livejournal.com]

To be fair the sign and law that says "Pets must be on a leash" really should be that person...

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

And they have one. Nunziato Field (http://somdog.org/join_us/park_neighborhoods/nunziato/). It's fenced, it's safe, and there's lots of dogs there.

It's not safe for the dogs or people/cyclists to let the dogs run loose on the Path. And Lexington Park is for little kids; if I recall correctly (I used to live near there and walked that way to get to the T), it's posted "No Dogs."

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

I think the point was there was a place for them to do just that fairly nearby.

My concern is really more with the dogs getting hurt. Teaching them pants-crapping terror could strike at any moment and they are never safe is good for kids. Builds character.

[mderidder.livejournal.com]

One frustrating thing about this is the duration of time this has been an issue and the apparent inaction on both sides to do anything about it.

There is a clear need for additional dog parks in other areas of Somerville. Telling people to take their dog to a park that is a 25 minute walk away is clearly not going to be a successful solution (and has not to this point).

Why not utilize some of the open space on the side of the path for a dog park. This is where the owners let their dogs run anyway. Parts of the land are routinely underwater anyway.

I wrote a letter to Rebecca about this last summer and was basically told that there are long term plans for the space and there needs to be a balance of everyone's needs. It seems like there is plenty of space to create a dog park along some stretch and still have space for other uses, whatever those may be, since she didn't elaborate.

As a dog owner, I get frustrated with the people who let their dogs off leash and have no control over them. My dog is not the friendliest, but they get mad when their dog runs up to mine and he growls all while I'm telling them my dog is not friendly. I have stopped walking my dog down the path because of this.

It would be nice if there was a constructive discussion about how to solve this and address needs of different constituents in the area.

[jamiesquared.livejournal.com]

I am also a dog owner and I would never bring my dog into a childs play area. Occasionally I DO take my dog to run in areas that it says "no dogs off leash allowed" such as the fenced in area in powderhouse circle but I do it at times when nobody else is around and I dont allow my pups to use it as a bathroom. I would wonder why someone would even bother taking their dogs to Lexington Park to be off leash when there really isnt a lot of running room for a dog to begin with. The only thing I can think of is maybe they have a small child playing while they are there (not that it makes it any better for them to do).

I think we need a new off-leash dog area towards the western part of the city as the dog park is just too far for us to walk to and from. I frequent the dog park after work and the majority of people I talk to all drive there from the further parts of the city.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

I think we need a new off-leash dog area towards the western part of the city as the dog park is just too far for us to walk to and from. I frequent the dog park after work and the majority of people I talk to all drive there from the further parts of the city.

Reasonable thing to want. Maybe start a petition?

[geekpixie.livejournal.com]

I don't have a dog, nor a child, but I do worry about a dog I don't know off leash, and am also seriously concerned about hurting a dog who might run across my path while I am riding a bike/running down this path. Needing extra space where off leash is allowed doesn't warrant this behavior, in fact, it should make people more unwilling to create that space because (some) existing dog owners aren't respecting others. Counter productive for everyone.

My other concern has to do with dogs going into the sandy areas of this park, if they have left any kind of waste there, other dogs, and possibly kids could get pretty sick from many things in it

(I lived in a building with many dogs and this occurred after winter several years in a row)

[kalliejenn2.livejournal.com]

wow, i'm taking my replies down. apparently having an opinion that other people may not agree with on this community gives everyone the right to attack me instead of having a dialogue about the issue.

[sparkgrrl658.livejournal.com]

people in this comm i've found are MORE than willing to have discussions, agree to disagree, etc.

it's just that, from what i saw, you felt that there should be more dog parks but in the meantime, it was no big deal for dog owners to just ignore that there wasn't one and break the law. i just don't think you'll have a lot of people on your side and willing to listen, and the fact that you don't own a dog or have kids, nor have you seen the park in question...didn't really help your case :/

[xuth.livejournal.com]

I support the OP on numerous counts. I support him as someone who has on numerous occasions been forced to stop suddenly on bicycle and has fallen once so that I didn't end up running over dogs that were either off leash or on leashes that were too long* for the owner to control the dog. Also I am personally minorly allergic to dogs and my girlfriend very allergic. I do not appreciate needing to interpose myself between my girlfriend and the dogs of irresponsible dog owners so that I'm the one suffering the allergic reactions not her.
Personally I find it abhorrent and cruel to their pets that people expect to be able to live in an area such as this with a dog unless they're willing to regularly take their dogs somewhere where the dog can get proper exercise. It is unfortunate that there are so few spaces in and around this town that can properly support large dogs, but unless the owners are willing to go out of their way to use them, I can see the pet owner as nothing less than cruel and abusive to their pets. Arguably if they aren't willing to take the dog out somewhere that can support the dog on a daily basis (or have a yard large enough for this) and they want to have a dog, they really shouldn't live here.




* per somerville municipal code chapter 3, article II, section 3-34, dogs must be kept on a leash of 6 ft or shorter when not either on the owners property, in a vehicle or in a designated off leash area. Thus if the dog is on a longer leash, the owner is still in violation of the law.

[sparkgrrl658.livejournal.com]

see, i'm okay with the extendable or longer leashes in a grassy area, but i HATE when people use these to walk their dogs on a sidewalk, path, etc. it's just totally unsafe. you need to be in complete close control of your dog. (not to mention the retractable ones can easily cut skin.)

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

I think that if there aren't enough off-leash dog parks, that's certainly a problem that the aldermen need to look into, and I would support efforts by people who live with dogs to get something done about the issue.

However, if there aren't enough off-leash dog parks, the answer is not to ignore existing ordinances and let dogs run free in parks where that's a) illegal, and b) inappropriate.

deleting all your own comments == fail

[ron_newman]

While there's no community rule against deleting one or more of your own comments, doing it on a mass scale as seen in this post reduces a discussion to Swiss cheese. I'd prefer people don't do this.

[teele-sq.livejournal.com]

Once question 3 passed back in November, it was just a matter of time before the dogs took over. I hope you're all re-thinking your vote!

I voted....

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

Hmmm, what was on question 3? Something about dog racing, right?

[leko.livejournal.com]

oh man. I wish I had been reading this thread before all the deleted posts. It looks like I missed out on some hilarity.

Damn, me tooo!

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

Why didn't I spend the afternoon here instead of working? :)

[tt02144.livejournal.com]

This has been an ongoing problem for years and the city REFUSES to address it. I feel they are afraid to anger the doggie activists. I live near Lexington Park and love walking my dog along the path, but can only do it after 10 pm because any other time you are accosted by dogs running all over the place and the owners are actually offended if your dog doesn't jump for joy when their dog runs up behind it in the dark, scaring it and causing it to growl! There is a growing group in the city who have openly advocated for a dog park within walking distance of EVERYONE in the city. That tells you where they're at. The Community Path is just that, and as the only piece of solitude in the city, is not an appropriate place for dogs to be off leash period. And people who use public or private property as their personal dog park are the worst. They don't understand, or don't care, that dogs destroy the grass. I see them everyday in the tiny plot at the corner of Central and Willoughby which is, I believe, AT&T property (?). They are going out of their way to make a point and think they can force the city to take away more of our precious open space for their use.

[sparkgrrl658.livejournal.com]

ugh, that really is terrible :( my older dog is a rescue who is blind, and moves very slowly [understandably]. he's also missing most of his teeth, and has never hurt another dog, but has snapped/scared other dogs or gone after those who, to him, sneak up and scare him. and the owners look at me like *i'm* the jerk! i always have him close to me on leash, and my younger dog who likes to play with other dogs only does so when i have an extra pair of hands or we leave big p at home.

I usually don't walk there...

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

But big dog without a leash make me very nervous. Heck, even when I see a small owner holding a big dog with a leash I'm nervous. If the area says no unleashed dogs, then it's a no brainer: unleashed dogs are illegal.

Re: I usually don't walk there...

[sparkgrrl658.livejournal.com]

a roommate who i lived with for many years was a vet tech, and, as has also been my experience, it's actually usually the little things you have to worry about. some of the worst were chiuahuas and welsh corgis.

a dog lost last summer

[mrsdollylevi.livejournal.com]

I remember posts last summer about a dog that was off leash and bolted when a sudden clap of thunder scared it. Last I head the owner was still looking for the dog.... lots of reasons to stay with leashes

[mjrocks98.livejournal.com]

Thanks Hugo - I thought I was the only person who felt this way. I'm a Richardson Street resident as well & I'm always jogging on the path - so far this spring I've been tripped up by unleashed dogs & fallen twice. Neither time was there an apology from the owner. The retractable leashes are a problem too. Owners stand talking to each other not paying attention to Fido who runs across the path on his retracto leash & trips people or cuts them (those retracting leashes can do some damage).

Isn't this similar to the airplane noise issues?

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

We live in a densely populated town. If you want a really quiet environment you go live in the suburbs. If you want to have your dogs running free you go live in the suburbs too. In either case, both kinds of people have the right to try to push for less noise and more leash-free parks. Good luck with that, though.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

I love dogs and I completely agree.

There is rarely a time I bike that section of the path without having close calls with a dog, a leash, or both. The owners don't even pay any attention, but I'm sure they'll blame the cyclist when their dog ends up running under a wheel. That sort of irresponsibility makes the majority of good ones look bad. I would love to see a regular patrol -- it'd be a great source of income for the city, too!

[karenjulip.livejournal.com]

Maybe the parking cops can switch over to patrolling the bike path now and then and put their zealousness to good use.