Wednesday, June 19, 2002

This is written in response to Jim Stinson's question in the June 12 edition of The Citizen asking if there is anyone out there willing to drive their dogs to Kedron to let them run in a fenced area with no grass.

Yes, there is. I would drive my dogs anywhere in Fayette County or a surrounding county to let them run unleashed, grass or no grass, for an hour or two a few times a week. I would even pay a property owner a few dollars for each visit, because although I own a fenced yard, it is only about one-third of an acre.

I own two well-behaved Great Danes who never run loose. They have completed basic obedience, and passed the Canine good citizen test. They are good with adults, children, hamsters, etc. And yet, I cannot take them anywhere in this county to play Frisbee, catch a tennis ball, or practice recall commands in a safe fenced environment.

Why is the fence important? Because dogs are animals, and no matter how much you train them they always will be. Even the best trained dog may take after a squirrel or a bird; it is an instinct. With no fence, how do you get your dog back safely should he not follow the command to come?

Yes, the beautiful paths in PTC are a great place to walk your dog, mostly leashed ones, but unleashed is OK if they are under voice command. Let me tell you, a leashed Great Dane is still seen as a threat to most people and many I meet would rather they not be on the paths. Besides, who decides if a dog is under voice command? I see very few unleashed dogs who would qualify in my book. It is hard to play fetch on a path, since in reality that is not what the paths were designed for.

Would you like to hear more positive reasons for a dog park? Dogs can be aggressive because of lack of socializing during their youth. This would be a great place to have canine socialization. Dogs learn about dog behavior by spending time with other dogs, thus less aggression even if the dog gets out in their own neighborhood.

Dogs are better behaved in the house (less destructive) when they get plenty of exercise and this would be an open area just for that.

Families would have a place to practice commands after their once a week obedience class without worrying about the safety of a valued family member.

PTC could host agility tournaments drawing people here from surrounding areas. The park could be listed as another amenity to sway a family looking to move to this area to choose Fayette County.

Looking for something to benefit the entire community? Good luck. You will never please everyone. That is why PTC offers a wide variety of recreational activities and places. Hopefully everyone would be able to find something among the offerings. This park would just enhance the choices available.

Fourteen thousand dollars is relatively cheap in the grand scheme of things. Although I do not have any reliable figures, I would guesstimate (and it is just that, a guess) to be able to offer an amenity to one-third of your community is a grand plan.

There are many dog parks that add to the communities they are in and this could be one of them. And the part about "no grass" have you seen what 20 running, happy, barking dogs can do to grass? Not a big deal, if you ask me.

Claire Cohen

Fayetteville

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