Time for a dog park is now

To the editor,

The South Portland City Council dealt with the issue of dogs in Hinckley Park on Tuesday night, May 3. The issues here are similar to other places, particularly Willard Beach. The issue of voice control is not reasonable. The only dogs fully under voice control are police, military and service dogs. That’s it. Otherwise, a dog is likely to chase another animal (wild or domestic), a ball, a child or a bike just because. It happens. When you hear someone yelling, “Fido, Fido, Fido” and the dog is still running, it is not under voice control.

At Willard Beach, there is no time during off months (October to May) when dogs are not allowed. I am in each place at least three times a week, walking two dogs for a friend. The amount of dog waste left on the beach is shocking. Piles are left on the walkway and on the sand.

I watch dogs drop feces near the water and owners ignore it. The number of times when I have almost been knocked over by a (friendly) dog not within the control of its owner is scary. The thought of breaking a hip, a leg or an arm is terrifying. “My dog is friendly,” does not suffice. Not everyone is eager to have an animal in her face.

Hinckley Park is our only shaded park. My friend with permanent crutches was knocked down so many times that he no longer went there. His irregular gait scared dogs and they charged him. He was not safe and could not walk there without fear. He loved to go to the beach in the summer evenings when it was cooler and he could sit on the sand. No go! Impossible without having sand kicked in his face or trampled by dogs.

Quality of life? What about the quality of life of the residents? For the taxes that a resident pays (not his/her dog), she/he deserves to safely visit all the parks in the city. Dogs do not have rights; people do. No, having a dog is not a right – it is a privilege. Rights are outlined in our constitution. Having a dog is not one of them.

Look, I love dogs. I walk dogs at the beach or park weekly. However, I am acutely aware of dogs not within voice control, owners not picking up waste, and the limitations residents have at the beach and Hinckley Park to visit when dogs are not present. Not everyone loves dogs, but many love going to the beach or park.

This is not a new issue. I was South Portland mayor in 2011. I established a committee to discuss dog hours at the beach and in parks. The concerns about dog feces left unattended, dogs not within voice control, dogs off leash/owners with no leash at all, and the concern for protecting natural resources were extensive, as they are today.

I raised options, along with ideas from the advisory committee, of limiting hours, limiting times off leash, raising issue of privilege versus rights and the option of a dog park – the exact same options presented Tuesday night. Councilors were resistant to making any changes. Ideas fell on deaf ears. Here we are again, 10 years later, and the concerns have not changed. The ideas are not new.

I chuckled as I listened. I could go back 10 years in time with no change. Sometimes things just repeat themselves and maybe, now, something will be done. I hope so. I am an animal lover – dogs and cats, chickens and rabbits and more – but it is time to protect residents and our natural resources.

A reasonable, central and already present place for a dog park would be Legere Park. It is already fenced in, centrally located, parking available and decent sized. The spot is perfect. Let’s see what happens next. I am sure there will be reactions to this, and I welcome it.

Rosemarie De Angelis

South Portland

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