Baltimore’s City Council this week will consider a bill to correct what some on the council describe as an oversight that’s created a firestorm among dog owners.
Back in January, the council approved changes to the structure of fines to violators of the city’s animal control laws. Included, but apparently unintended – a big increase (from $100 to $1000) in the fine for unleashed dogs.
The proposed bill would knock the fine down to $250. But there’s a much bigger issue here.
For years, as a city resident and dog owner, I have said to anyone who will listen that in order to improve quality of life, Baltimore must accommodate people’s dogs. That means providing space where they can be walked and confined areas where they can run off-leash.
You don’t need all that much room. A small corner of any of the city’s parks or a piece of a vacant lot will do ( we certainly have plenty of those).
Also now under discussion: allowing certain hours of the day to “go to the dogs” in existing parks that have fenced-in areas. This is a reasonable idea that can satisfy demand while we figure out a way to create more dog parks.
Dog owners have to hold up their end of the bargain. That means cleaning up after their dogs; controlling them at all times; and making sure that any “dogs only” area doesn’t turn into a barkfest.
(Can you tell I’m a volunteer with the Canton Dog Park and have some experience with the rules we enforce?)
In return, the city should make every effort to make Baltimore as dog friendly as possible and recognize that dogs provide companionship and security—two very important things for city residents.
Hey……what about cat parks? Maybe I would like to walk my kitty Raven. The cat parks wouldn’t take up alot of space since kitties are little . The cat parks would also be much less of a noise problem because the kitties would only hiss at each other…..not bark like those rowdy dogs! The cat park would be all sand and you would have to bring your own scooper to clean up …….or better yet!…..let a dog in and it will do the work for you! You know how they like tootsie rolls! LET’S HEAR IT FOR CAT CORRALS!
HEY…….What about a cat park? I would love to walk my cat raven to the park. The kittie park could be all sand and people would bring thier cat box scoopers to keep it sparkle clean! Maybe someone could let a dog come in as a guest and clean the kittie park for us…..you know how they like cat food! Cat’s are not as loud as dogs are. They just hiss at each other …..so no barking at the cat club! The kittie cat club parks would also be much smaller than dog parks, since kitties are much smaller! LET’S HERE IT FOR CAT PARKS!
if you think the new fine for unleashed dogs and the dog situation is outrageous, ask me about the outrageous conduct of the employees at animal control. yes, there are other people around the city that will confirm what i say. there is one woman who quickly fled baltimore in fear of the dog control employee.
One of the reasons we moved to Anne Arundel County is that we want our dogs to have a positive quality of life, too. While that may sound bizarre to non-dog owners, my husband and I take our canine responsibilities very seriously. We enjoy taking our terriers to both Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis (small & large fenced in dog parks + dog beach) and to Down’s Park near Gibson Island where they can even romp in the bay. Maryland is way too uptight about dogs in public places — but I also know there can be dog owners who do not do the right thing. If your dog needs muzzled, do it; clean-up, don’t make it hard for the rest of us and train your dog to understand basic commands. It will make life more pleasant for everyone.
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You are absolutly correct. Baltimore should have dog parks many surrounding jurisdiction already do. The animal control folks seem to be on a power trip not only in Baltimore, but I know a few in Harford County that need to take a chill pill
Jayne – thanks so much for writing this and being an advocate. It’s good to know that there are folks out there who have influence and support the idea of dog parks and off leash hours. If cities such as New York and Boston can do it, there is absolutely no reason why it can’t be successful here. It would be nice for a change for this city to do something positive to keep its residents here, rather than give them yet another reason to flee to the county.
Jane,
Great entry! Any idea how many leash violations the city wrote last year? I am all for the idea of a dog park. Just wondered the amount of money that the city made last year on this type of violation.