Dozens speak out on dogs in parks

At a public hearing held at City Hall last Tuesday, District 2 City Councilor William Linehan and Sal LaMattina, chairman of the Committee on City and Neighborhood Services, heard from city officials and dozens of residents about the extent of what some say is a growing problem with dogs running off leash in city parks.

Linehan, who called for the hearing, said it was important to discuss whether the city needs to tighten enforcement of leash and pooper-scooper laws and to see if creating more parks in which dogs can be off leash legally would help solve dog-related conflicts.

While there have always been tensions between dogs and people coexisting in the city, Linehan said the conflict has grown in the past five years, particularly in sections of his district, like the South End and South Boston, where there is "a culture of non-compliance" among dog owners.

City officials say they'll look into creating a task force in the next several months to examine how to best thaw the frosty relations between dog owners and complainants.

Linehan said children and others are being driven out of some parks because of dogs running freely or without close supervision by distracted owners.

"We must never lose sight that owning a dog is not just a privilege but a responsibility," said Linehan.

Sergeant Charles Rudack, who heads the city's animal control office, said there are about 8,700 licensed dogs in Boston and estimates there are probably another 5,000 unlicensed dogs. Since July 1st, his office has received 1,740 dog-related complaints, he said.

If caught at all, leash law violators are first issued a written warning, then a $25 fine for a second offense, and a $30 fine for every violation thereafter.

While enforcement of leash laws is important, Rudack said, it's "not a top priority" since he has just nine officers to respond to all kinds of animal-related emergencies on a 24-hour, seven days a week basis.

Other issues, like the city's feral cat problem, often demand closer attention than catching leash and dog-poop scofflaws, he said.

"It's unreasonable to think you can do more with two people per shift," said Linehan, who noted in New York City, sanitation workers are empowered to ticket dog law violators.

Brian McLaughlin, executive secretary for the city's Parks and Recreation Department, said Boston has only one officially designated dog park on city property, the Joe Wex Dog Recreational Space at Peters Park in the South End.

Last summer, the Parks Department approved creating another at Ronan Park in Dorchester, but organizers are still fund-raising.

Dogs are also allowed off leash in one grassy area of the Boston Common during early-morning and evening hours, but the area is not dedicated for that purpose and its use is still on a trial basis, said McLaughlin.

A key reason why there aren't more off-leash spaces, said McLaughlin, is that a 2005 city ordinance to establish dog parks is overly burdensome, putting all the financial, legal, permitting, construction oversight and maintenance responsibilities on dog owners.

McLaughlin said he gets many inquiries about setting up dog parks, but most never follow through once they see what the ordinance requires.

More than two dozen spoke at the hearing, many to complain about how loose dogs are a nuisance and a threat to children and others enjoying the city's limited open spaces.

Many of the complaints about dogs came from North End residents who spoke of dog waste on sidewalks and urine sprayed on building walls and fixtures, as well as poop bags left on the curb by careless dog owners.

A number said dogs regularly frolic off leash at the Prado, leaving behind a huge mess and scaring away visitors and tourists. A similar problem at the historic Copps Hill Burial Ground was largely resolved, but only after many years of persistent complaining, residents said.

Many dog owners say they don't think increasing fines will deter violators but that sharply increasing the annual fee for dog licenses - now just $6 - would be acceptable provided the city used the money to help pay for the creation of dog parks.

"You give people no choice if there isn't adequate space," said dog owner Nicholas Ogden, who lives near Downtown Crossing. While he favors more dog parks, Ogden said he objects to an ordinance that makes dog owners pay twice for the right to use public parks.

"I don't see why I have to pay for everyone else's use [through taxes] and then pay for my own again," said Ogden.

Though a nuisance to some, the presence of dog owners in city parks can provide many community and public safety benefits, such as deterring drug use and other crimes, said Alain Ferry, founder of BostonDOG, a volunteer group that goes out in orange T-shirts to do monthly cleanups of dog waste left in city parks around Beacon Hill and Back Bay.

The group plans to ask the council later this year to designate two off-leash areas on the Common, a permanent one near the baseball diamonds and another rotating space, said Ferry.