Last week, the Raleigh City Council moved the issue of restricting dogs from certain areas of parks to the Council’s Public Works committee. I was aware that might happen but don’t know what the committee might hit on that the parks board and its committees did not. We have carefully considered the issue, collected public feedback, and made sure all along to take our time to get it right.
Again, I feel the key to success here is to provide more dog-friendly areas, whether they be dog runs in existing parks or biting the fiscal bullet and ponying up for additional much-needed dog parks in our growing city. Part of the Parks board’s recommendation was to be tasked with studying where more dog-friendly resources could be added. I hope the Council will see fit to approve that.
On a related note, I was chatting with a senior parks manager last week who provided an example of the need for this rule that I hadn’t considered before: youth football. I can tell you by experience that Lions Park gets overrun with parents and kids when the Pop Warner games take place. It’s hugely popular. I imagine those kids spend a good deal of time with their facemasks in the turf, and whatever might be on that turf comes along for the ride. If my kid was out there I’d absolutely want that field to be free from dog poop.