Patty's Park Presentation..............................

Not only am I on the agenda for the Parks Committee meeting on April 11, but I also found a terrific proposal that a city in CA put together and gave permission for others to modify and use to create their own dog parks. Below is what I plan on saying at the meeting and wanted to get your input and make needed changes before beginning to commit it to memory.

The post below this one is another idea I had. I put quotes with pics of the dogs to help make a connection between the people on the committee and the dogs, as well as provide them with some food for thought after meeting us. I plan to hand these out as people are filing in for the meeting.

Okay, after introducing myself this is how I begin...

I have heard that dogs have the mental capacity of a two-year-old, and if you know, or have known any two-year-olds you know that one of their greatest life pleasures is to run, and play with anyone and everyone they meet. Observing this behavior is to me one of life’s greatest pleasures, and I get this same joy from watching my dogs meet and greet other dogs.

In my opinion, the best place for these meeting to take place is a “dog park.” These parks are fenced in areas set aside for dogs to meet and play under the watchful eyes of their owners. With current leash laws, it is difficult to find places where dogs can fully stretch their legs canine style. Dog parks solve this problem, and go a long way in solving others as well.

It is no secret that physical activity is good for both dogs and humans. It has been proven that
people with dogs exercise more. In today’s multi-tasking society a dog park can provide not only the benefits of exercise for humans and dogs, but provides these benefits in an environment that fosters social interaction. Imagine being able to engage in an activity that is not only good for you, but also loads of fun, and filled with terrific health benefits.

A dog park can provide the perfect outlet for a dog’s pent up energy. That extra energy that translates into noisy, jumping, obnoxious dogs who bother neighbors and non-dog owners on the streets. A dog that has an outlet for their pent up energy is usually a dog that is much less bothersome to neighbors, cutting down on the number of complaints and bad feelings.

Of course one cannot discuss the possibility of a dog park without discussing the PPI, poop problem issue. I will confess to many an unclean thought after an encounter between my shoes and stray PPI. A dog park can provide the number one and two behavior modification techniques to address this PPI, which are education and peer pressure. Responsible owners pick up after their pets and normally have little issue with asking others to do the same. Creating an environment where picking up is the norm rather than the exception will go along way in dealing with the PPI.

Not everyone is a dog owner, or a dog lover. The same can be said about soccer, baseball, and football, and yet we have designated areas for those activities in our city. I am here tonight to ask for equal consideration for those of us that do own and love dogs to assist us in nurturing them, as well as provide a way to express our gratitude to them for all the unconditional love and attention they so freely lavish on us daily.