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City says irresponsible dog owners forcing it to lock up Mission Hill ball field
By adamg on Wed, 04/24/2013 - 8:18am
In response to a citizen complaint about a McLaughlin Playground baseball field on Mission Hill being locked up all the time except for when the local Little League is using it, the city says:
The little league field and the batting cage is locked because ... of some dog owners who allow their dogs to run wild and not picking up after their dogs.
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Comments
bolt cutters.hooray, public
bolt cutters.
hooray, public park is public again!
slight sarcasm, but really. there has to be someone up the chain of command who can point out how ridiculous that is.
I agree with you for the most
I agree with you for the most part, but honestly dog owners need to take responsibility. Boston's parks can be disgusting after a day of mutts running around.
agreed with dog owners
agreed with dog owners needing to be more responsible. what about the suggestion of having a designated dog area though? i think that's worth considering.
Dog park
I don't know about over there, but about once a year or so someone on Fort Hill suggests that we need a dog park here, and people FLIP THE FUCK OUT. You'd think the anti-dog people would want dog owners gravitating toward a particular park or area of a park, yet so many of them don't, and just say that it isn't right for the public to fund something for dogs when having a dog is a choice. *sigh*
(For what it's worth, I'm not really a dog person, but we have kid areas, and other people choose not to raise kids thus don't use those, so what's the big deal?)
EDIT: Reading further down, I see that the same argument is playing out here. Gotcha.
Shhhhh
Fort Hill doesn't need a dog park. Fort Hill is a park where people take their dogs. We don't need any attention over here...
This park has been closed
This park has been closed since October with little warning due to "pesticide use" and remained locked. There has been no acceptable amount of time for dog owners to even use the park and clean up after their dogs. There needs to be a place for dog owners in Mission Hill.
I emailed the parks dept the
I emailed the parks dept the day they locked it up in October. No signs, no warning, no time estimate to be reopened. I didn't get a response from them until the beginning of December. This was after I called the mayors hotline twice, and emailed them about four times. I emailed the parks department numerous times before I went to the mayors hotline. When I did hear back from their "community liaison", he ignored my questions about the pesticide, signs, and lack of warning to the residents of the hill. So yeah, that's the parks department. If you want a reply, just wait two months, if you want an answer to your question ... keep waiting.
There is a place
Fitzgerald Park has a dog run--though the park is closed after dark and when it snows.
Right and thankfully it's
Right and thankfully it's never snowed here or gets dark by 4 pm for five months out of the year.
Thanks Captain Snark, may I have another?
My comment was in response that Mission Hill needs a dog park-which it has. I also included its limitations as inevitably someone else would. But seeing as the other option (ball field) is now closed rain or shine 24/7 those limitations don't seem as bad do they?
If you need to walk your dog at mid-night in a snowstorm there are other options (I would certainly be happy to tell you where I think you should go if you would like to talk offline). Otherwise as daylight is getting longer and the risk of snow decreases, it seems a pretty good alternative.
Ahoy- The back of the hill
Ahoy- The back of the hill doesn't have a dog park, or really anything else. What it does have is plenty of space available to make something into a park. I'm thinking of that empty lot by the heath st rotary (already has a fence up) or any of the buildings in obvious disrepair along heath st, or even the top field of the park. Not everyone has a 9-5, a car, or a dog walker. Daylight is getting longer, but october-march is pretty much lights out too early even for the 9-5s. What's the big issue with getting a fence and a trash can? The point of this whole thing anyway was more that the field is being kept from regular citizens of the Hill. We don't have much to bring the community together in a positive way. A park does that whether it be for dog or people.
Mission Hill field soiled by irrresponsible dog owners
The little league field is relatively small, confined area heavily used by children. It is frequently soiled by dogs whose owners don't obey the signage, "Dogs Prohibited," and do not have the decency and responsibility to walk out and clean up after their dogs. It is pure laziness, selfishness, and it is illegal. Fifty yards up the hill is a much larger playing field which would be a more appropriate place for them to walk their dogs, but they are still required to keep the dogs on leash and pick up after them. There is no basis for arguing otherwise.
Dear Paul, The field is
Dear Paul,
The field is supposed to be used by all. Little snowflakes don't get exclusive rights just because they're precious. It is frequently soiled by gatorade bottles, trash, beer bottles, used condoms (big ups for using protection!), broken glass, etc. No one is playing baseball barefoot right? Who has gotten a dog poop transmitted disease while wearing shoes? I would rather step in dog poop than a used condom if that's what it comes down to. The way you describe it Paul, it's like the field is ankle deep and shoes are a crazy new concept. Show up to the field after a game. If you can get parking (twist: you can't unless you want to ILLEGALLY park on the street and create a more immediate hazard to the people)feel free to help clean up after one. I've seen human poop in a bus shelter before. Should humans not be allowed to use the bus? Let the TAXPAYERS have their field. I don't like your politics, Paul. Unless you want to start taxing the little kids then the field should be open to all.
That public property is only
That public property is only available at certain times for the purpose it is intended?
The purpose of the public
The purpose of the public park is to be open to ALL regardless of little league enrollment and a bunch of other stuff. PEOPLE I'm talking about.
I dispute that...
Parks have a right to be closed at certain times and for their uses to be limited to certain activities.
Closing the baseball field and batting cage to non-baseball uses seems to be pretty rational. The public doesn't have an absolute right to full access to a public facility.
Not just dogs
I live right on the park, and noticed in the past week or so that the college boys across the street own a small pig (!) that they bring into the park as well. Like many others, they just hop the fence.
Public nuisance
Dogs should not be allowed on any public property. Want a dog, get a yard.
Dogs a public nuisance? PLEASE
and I think children on the T are a public nuisance. Should we ban them from the T? Tell parents if they want children get a car? Get real, people have the right to own pets - that comes with the responsibility to care for them properly and picking up after them. There are other ways to deal with this, raise fines to an obscene amount...there are a LOT of responsible dog owners that would 100% support this.
Agreed...but(t)
...fines only work if they are enforced.
I feel for the cop that's put on dog-doo-ty.
How about a little self policing?
Are you a responsible dog owner? yes? Awesome.
Next time you see an irresponsible dog owner, strolling off smugly after their pooch pops a poop, remind them that parks are being locked up b/c of people who don't clean up after their dogs.
Or, give them a little visual story:
Would you go to a friend's bbq, after having been trapped inside all day with a pot of strong coffee and no bathroom access, and then take a huge dump in their yard and leave it there? For the whole party? (if they answer yes, figure out where they live & leave a line of dog poo in front of their front door)
:shrug: I like dogs. But this is a huge reason why I won't own one for now. I don't like picking up other's crap.
false equivalence
Children don't shit on the floor, and their shit doesn't contain infectious parasites.
Children don't trigger panic attacks in, or scare, a significant portion of the population.
Children don't maul people or each other (until they get old enough to handle a gun, that is.)
You don't have a "right" to own a pet, believe it or not...and many of us really don't care for our recreational space being used as a bathroom for your little shit+piss machine.
Actually if you read
Actually if you read anything, ever, human to human bites are more dangerous than dog to human bites because there aren't a lot of diseases communicable from dog to human vs human to human. Kids might not shit on the floor but I've actually seen FULL LUSCIOUS USED DIAPERS left on the seats at McLaughlin. If you don't believe me I can mail you the next one I find. Are you just scared of dogs? Really? That seems to be the root of your complaint. Your offspring is safe from dogs, he/she just can't use the park mummy and daddy pay taxes to fund/clean. Dogs are a privilege yes, unfortunately fearful party POOPERS like yourself can just have kids all on their own.
anonymous: a fact-free zone
I've definitely seen small children defecate on floors, and I'm pretty sure human feces can and often does contain all kinds of delightfully infectious bacteria and parasites, like pretty much any species' poop does. I'd guess that children, having generally less-developed immune systems than adults, might even have more such activity in their poopies.
Via the CDC: approximately 30-35 people die from dog bites annually, and in 2006, approximately 31,000 people required reconstructive surgery as a result of a dog bite (were "mauled"). Since you brought up guns, the CDC reports in 2010, there were 30,470 deaths and 75,684 injuries from firearms. And that's just one of the myriad methods humans have of mauling or killing each other.
I'm not even going to touch your bizarre panic attack statement.
Children don't trigger panic
I definitely get panic attacks from children. Please keep them safely inside your house to prevent my panic attacks.
Wow.
Talk about dramatic... "NO DOGS ANYWHERE. GRARRRGGSGGHGH."
That's a little ridiculous.
That's a little ridiculous. This is a major metropolitan area with limited "yards".
Funny thing, lots of homes in
Funny thing, lots of homes in Mission Hill don't have yards. Yards for dogs or for kids who aren't in little league or for anyone. City living and all that. I'm guessing you don't own a dog. Anyway being locked up in a yard is no life for a dog. Regardless of what a park might be intended for, they do bring people together. I don't see what's wrong with making a city into a neighborhood and making that neighborhood into a community. I live across the street from McLaughlin and before the parks people addresss the dog issue they should clean up the used condoms, bottles and broken glass.
They're bringing people together right here
It's a written version of what happens every day in the parks.
Isn't it nice, this warm feeling of community your dogs are creating here?
Funny enough it seems only
Funny enough it seems only the dog owners are the ones open to actually changing things instead of bitching about it. That nice warm thing you're talking about might be the poo you step in because the dogs have nowhere to go.
Almost
The part after "because" should read "some people are dirtbags."
I'm perfectly willing to change things, but you might not like the changes.
$1K dog registration fee, to cover DNA analysis.
Any dog without registration shall be impounded, to be returned when owners leave Boston.
Any dog feces left in public shall then be tested for DNA to identify dirtbags responsible. Fines for violation heavy enough to discourage dog ownership among dirtbags.
This system would raise plenty of money to fund more dog parks and extra animal control officers.
If you're a decent and law-abiding dog owner, this would provide great benefits to you.
Couldn't stop laughing
Couldn't stop laughing
Externalities
From another angle - Why should the population at large subsidize canine owners, by providing them with public spaces for their animals to defecate?
Good point... why should some
Good point... why should some people pay taxes for public spaces for kids to play baseball?
That's how taxes work my friend. Its called a social contract, there is a long long philosophical discussion over it. If you don't use the fire department should you pay your taxes for it? Its a slippery slope argument, certainly, but the reality is that's how society works - to have those potential protections you agree to certain things... like taxes for dogs to poop.
NO WAY MAN MY DOG DOESN'T
NO WAY MAN MY DOG DOESN'T SHIT!! YOU DOG HATERS JUST NEED TO LEARN HOW TO BEHAVE AROUND DOGSHIT!!!
Dog cleanup
Please stop hating the dogs, and hate the dog owners who don't clean up after them. It's a little ridiculous. I am a 16 year dog owner in a part of the city where a yard is a dream, with an income where I could never afford a $400,000 starter home. My dog is my life, my friend, my companion, and my salvation. I clean up after him every time. That is my responsibility as a dog owner in the city.
They should start locking the
They should start locking the arboretum. That place is awful with all the unleashed dogs. It's a great park that is totally unusable unless you're willing to be harassed by dogs.
100% agree and I'm a dog owner
I really feel that there should be NO dogs allowed in the Arboretum. Blame the asshole owners, not the dogs. I mean, for Chrissakes, they make a leash with doggie bags attached! How easier do they have to make it?
Though it is hard to notice dog poop when you're busy texting....
Unleashed dogs
I find that owners who let their dogs off leash in areas where they're not supposed to are the LAST ones to clean up after their dogs, too. In fact, I've seen owners purposely turn their backs on their defecating dogs so they have plausible deniability - "Oh, I don't think my dog shit anywhere. . .I certainly didn't see him do it." I'm a dog owner myself and I find those people to be the worst. If I can pick up after my dog, they can do the same.
Geese are worse.
I wish there were a way to lock the geese out of our park in the Fens. Goose poop everywhere has just ruined it for us. Dogs, not an issue.
Well thats why you can shoot Geese
http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/28496.html
Maybe because of the increase in the dog population we can enact a hunting permit for unleashed dogs.
Nice try with your comparison, Dogs are domesticated pets while Geese are WILD animals. Take responsibility for the "responsibility" you willingly took on when purchasing a domesticated animal.
You can? Really?
Great--I'll take my 22 the next time I head to the Emerald Necklace.
Pretty sure even a hunting
Pretty sure even a hunting permit isn't going to let you shoot at geese in a city park.
but the beer bottles, condoms, underwear and trash...
... aren't an issue at all. We might as well lock up the entire grassy area and walkways at this point. I was passing by WITH MY DOG and noticed a pair of female underwear smeared with human feces on the bleachers by the baseball field. That's nothing to be worried about though, especially with children around. Responsible dog owners in the area desperately need a place for their dogs. If the baseball field is a problem, the city should give us a fenced in dog area solely for dog use. We wanted to be willing to work with other users of the park but were quickly forced out.
running rules by exceptions
It is truly sad that responsible dog owners -and there are many, children who are not part of the little league, or anyone wanting to use this field are being punished because of a few bad apples!
The solution to lock up a field that all tax payers pay to maintain is a very unfair one.
Perhaps, building a fence around the top open field of the McLaughlin park, making it a dog park would direct dog owners to that area without forcing the little league field to close. Hence making everyone happy.
Dog Tax, Perhaps
Pay a parks fee when you get your tags each year. Then show your tags when you want to use the park.
Some facilities in MA operate this way for people (i.e. swim tags for the Arlington Reservoir) - I don't see why it can't be so with dogs. It could even involve an RFID (arf-fed?) chip for unattended access.
No tags? No park entry. Can't follow basic rules? Send a ranger/cop out to issue tickets or impound tags with the threat of taking the dog away if there are too many violations.
Why should there be an
Why should there be an additional fee when:
a) there's already a fee when a dog owner gets a license from the city for their dog, and
b) the parks department already has a budget via city taxes?
Do you also want to charge frisbee players, beachgoers, kite fliers, basketball players, walkers, runners, picnickers, and anyone elsepartaking in any specific activity at a park a separate fee for each possible activity that someone might enjoy?
Your solution of sending someone to issue tickets or impound a dog for violations already exists.
I don't believe people with
I don't believe people with children need a tag to let their children into parks. Why dog owners?
Because you don't find people
Because you don't find people bringing children in to parks on a daily basis for no other reason than to have them shit and walk away for someone else to clean up.
Again, let's not generalize
Again, let's not generalize and put all dog people in the same shit bag! I take my pooch to the park so that he can stretch his legs, just like kids. The fact that he has to pee and poops is secondary to his park visits. And like many good dog owners, I am careful to pick it all up. Unlike some parent who litter the park with trash.
Unfair solution based on exception
It is truly sad that responsible dog owners -and there are many, children who are not part of the little league, or anyone wanting to use this field are being punished because of a few bad apples!
The solution to lock up a field that all tax payers pay to maintain is a very unfair one.
Perhaps, building a fence around the top open field of the McLaughlin park, making it a dog park would direct dog owners to that area without forcing the little league field to close. Hence making everyone happy.
It would be nice to see the
It would be nice to see the city work with the public on this issue. I know that other dog owners have contacted area reps to try and discuss a solution to the issue. Instead they just lock of the fields.
Instead of holding a neighborhood meeting that would include all interested parties, dog owners are more likely to have a parks rec member coming by and border-line verbally harass them and threaten having animal control called (because that's what our pounds need, more dogs... and ones that actually have owners).
Parks are meant to be areas where people can come together and enjoy a public space. Mission Hill is being taken over by a community of college renters who could care little about its upkeep. Addressing some of the issues raised here proactively would be a nice change of pace. Stands with "doggie bags" would be a nice start. Designated areas for dogs is a pipedream it seems, but at least expanding the small, almost cage like, area in Fitz Park would be a nice start, and removing some refuse there would be great.
There are frankly, some people who just don't care. And yes they are ruining it for everyone. There are also non-dog owners who just don't care either. The park is littered with empty beer cans too.
In the end, that field gets used a few months each year. The other months its empty and is a waste of tax payer's money in upkeep and space. There are many areas of the city that are dog friendly during certain months. We could start by designating this area as one of those. Pretty sure little league isn't active in January. Would be nice to have an active dialogue that would result in a solution that satisfies everyone, or at least attempts to.
Easy solution
Seeing that it is almost impossible to uphold leash-laws, start forcing dog owners to register their pet a $100 a pop/ year. Use this money to both pay for clean up (because dog owners have not shown they can handle the responsibility) and investment in future dog parks. WIN_WIN! Parks are clean and dog owners get what they have been demanding for years.....
On an analogous note
Seeing that it is almost impossible to uphold littering laws, start forcing beer drinkers to pay $100 per year. Use this money to both pay for clean-up (because beer drinkers have not shown that they can handle the responsibility) and investment in future beer gardens where it will be legal to drink in public. . WIN_WIN! Parks are clean and beer drinkers get what they have been demanding for years....
funny thing about public property
That entire stretch of land is owned by New England Baptist and "leased" to the city. I don't think NEBH would really want their lands locked up away from the people who want to use them. The battle between the parks dept and dog owners has been going on for ages. I have even witnessed verbal altercations between owners and parks dept employees using language that would make a sailor blush. Not cool. There's a field on the top of the hill, not the largest by any means, but seems to be not used very much. All it would take to pacify both sides is a fence and a trash can. Voila, dog park!
Dog Park at Fitzgerald Park
Some irresponsible people ruin it for everyone else. If everyone cleaned up after their dog it would not be a problem but it is not fair to our kids and coaches to have to clean up dog poop. There is a nice dog park at fitzgerald/puddingstone park that hardly anyone uses so the idea that there are no options for dog owners to run their dogs (or pigs) is not true. It is a public space but it is also permitted by the city for use by MHLL and local schools and the league and our sponsors spend a lot of time and money making sure it is in the best condition possible for our kids. We are less aggressive about enforcing the no dog rules during the offseason but I don't think it is too much for us to ask that people respect and observe the rules during the season so kids are not playing baseball in dog feces which can carry many diseases in addition to being gross.
That's where you're wrong,
That's where you're wrong, when you say there's a nice park at fitzgerald. It's not nice, it's about thisbig, it's not accessible in bad weather, it's a much further walk from the back of the hill and would you really want to go there at night? I agree it's not fair for kids or coaches to pick up dog poop. It's not fair for anyone to have to clean up after another person/dog. I say this as someone who has personally put beer bottles, dog poop, gatorade bottles, etc in the trash. The little league isn't exactly blameless in keeping the park nice either. Your less aggressive approach could use some refining as I know of people who have been harassed, not spoken to but harassed, in the winter when there's snow on the ground. I also witnessed a group of little kids yelling at two grown women on the field about picking up dog poop while one of the kids URINATED IN THE WOODS IN PLAIN SIGHT.
Peeing in the woods?
My kids play south end bball. If those Mission Hill junior sluggers can hit a long fly ball in to the woods and risk stepping in pee the rest of the little leagues around the city better step up their game.
The dog run at Fitz park is
The dog run at Fitz park is not as big or as nice as some other neighborhoods like the south end but it is sufficient especially given the number of people who use it. It might not be perfect and yes it is not open at night but it is an area that was designated for dogs off leash. It is also free! People had to raise thousands of dollars to build the dog park at Peters Park (just as we had to raise thousands of dollars from local institutions to renovate the little league field) the city is not going to build a dog park at the top of the hill without community action and shared if not full outside funding. Also the dog run at Fitz actually was bigger originally but so few people used it they put up a fence and cut the size in half. I am sure some people who are passionate about this issue might not be as nice as they could be when asking not to let your dog loose on the field but I also know the one time I said something politely to a woman she immediately got defensive and nasty and accused me of harassing her...the only explanation I had was that she knew she was in the wrong so she got very defensive. Despite what you might have interpreted as harassment...try letting your dog loose on the little league fields in Charlestown, South Boston, South End, etc and see what kind of response you get.
Unlike their pets, some dog owners just don't give a shit
Take the North End, for example.
Except their field isn't
Except their field isn't locked.
Really though, the park at
Really though, the park at fitz isn't in play. The issue is the Mclaughlin park being locked out to people. Forget the dogs for a second, how can you defend people not being able to use the park? There is the middle field yes but due to the field being locked up it gets crowded very quickly especially on the weekends/afternoons. Want to play baseball/kickball/anythingball or frisbee with your friends? Cool, just wait. Keep waiting. I don't know why it's so difficult for the city to work with it's constituents and find a solution. Puddingstone is not a solution. As far as I'm concerned it's another neighborhood for those of us who live in Roxbury Crossing/Back of the hill. Everyone regardless of what side they're on feels the same "this sucks." So let's work together so we can get to the point of "this sucks less." Except the city and especially the hostile parks dept employees don't seem very willing.
I agree wholeheartedly that
I agree wholeheartedly that you shouldn't have to pick up any trash or any poop. And this is what we are looking for - a dialogue with people who have an interest in this area, like you do, to try and reach a solution.
The field was locked the entire offseason. And by locked I mean they also added fences to the gates to really limit access and posted additional signs. It was actually more enforced this offseason.
Additionally, the park at Fitz is very small. There are larger dog parks in the south end where green space is way more at a premium.
In the end, I 100% agree with you, its gross. I do it every day, and not just my own dog's. You definitely shouldn't have to do it, and kids really shouldn't be exposed to it. I get it. But rather than create an issue where there is hostility and deny access to a public area to many people who wish to take advantage of something they too pay for, it would be nice to attempt to find a solution.
"Because of SOME dog owners"
"Because of SOME dog owners" right. A few bad apples spoils the bunch for an entire neighborhood? Punish the many for the sins of a few? No one loves picking up dog poop but when I see the piss-poor job the parks department has done of keeping that park clean (seriously could there be more broken glass?)I wonder what the parks dept. actually would clean up. Clearly not sports bottles, booze bottles, needles, trash, condoms, etc. Why don't they preach to the little leagues to clean up after their players? While we're on it, my precious ears burn every time a nine year old screams profanity at a batting practice, so maybe ban them too. On a more serious note, the parking situation for the games there has to be changed. Parking on both sides of Parker Hill Ave, an already narrow two way street is so dangerous. Lift the parking ban on Fisher or at least make it jive with the parking limits on Parker Ave.
Mission Hill field soiled because of irrresponsible dog owners
The little league field is relatively small, confined area heavily used by children. It is frequently soiled by dogs whose owners don't obey the signage, "Dogs Prohibited," and do not have the decency and responsibility to walk out and clean up after their dogs. It is pure laziness, selfishness, and it is illegal. Fifty yards up the hill is a much larger playing field which would be a more appropriate place for them to walk their dogs, but they are still required to keep the dogs on leash and pick up after them. There is no basis for arguing otherwise.
Keeping a dog on a lease is
Keeping a dog on a lease is like telling a human he/she has to sit for 20 hours straight. Mammals are active, humans and dogs alike. The middle field is not entirely fenced in and is not a proper dog park, especially with cars speeding down Parker Hill Ave. Dog owners in the area WANT to come to a mutual agreement where everyone can use the park. Simple as that. Help us help you so we all can use the park.
maybe dog owners shouldnt be so selfish
and insist on keeping a dog in the city. Dog owner here and I just dont understand the attitude that its everyone elses fault but the owners that they dont have a place for their doggie to run around. You chose to live in a city and you chose to own a dog. So now everyone else should feel bad about this? Look in the mirror, its YOUR fault, no one else's.
If you think that having a dog park is so important, write to your politicians and convince them that the little league field should be re-purposed as a dog park. The two uses are incompatible as feces shouldnt be all over a field kids play on. I dont care if YOU clean it up.
Keeping a dog on a lease
It seems to me like a lot of dogs are going on informal month-to-month arrangements now.
Trash cans
How about more trash cans, so people don't have to carry a bag full of cr@p across half the city? I have a small dog and always pick up after him, but I'm not too surprised at people who own larger dogs not cleaning up if there isn't a trash can nearby.
Last year while walking my
Last year while walking my dog in this area I noticed something on the bleachers outside of the sacred grounds of little league play. A full diaper... from a kid. Literally 6 feet from a trash can. Guess what? I THREW THAT AWAY TOO!
I'm glad I'm not the only one
I'm glad I'm not the only one who's experienced this! I'm sorry you had to touch it. Humans give each other diseases. More trash cans is a great idea. Funny enough it seems that they fill more with poop bags from dogs than anything else.
at least it was contained in a diaper
I know pepole are diaper-phobic, but you pick your own dogs shit up with about .1mil of plastic between it and your hand and this dosnt bother you...
dogs are welcome in parks on leash
Parks welcome dogs on leash. Certian areas of all parks are posted no dogs, athletic fields, courts and playlots, this and all parks are posted in that manner. Dog owners are welcome in rest of this large facility, enforcemnt issues aside this facility on the lower level is being locked from dog owners abuse not just to keep dogs out. These facilities in parks are for people to use not animals. The locking of this facility was done in the fall because of a $20,000 genourous donation by Northeastern University to Mission Hill LL and Parks Dept to renovate the entire Little League Field. Drainage isuues were remedied so MHLL could utilize their home field for more games this year and in the future. The closure was to ensure the establishment of the turf. If any citizen or group of residents is interested in creating a dog recreation space(DRS)the city council under the leadership of Mike Ross created a process that they can utilize to create a DRS in public parks with comunity support, the application is available on city website/parks. When dog users confuse the leginamate issue of drs space with balatant violations of posted rules and public health policy they confuse a valid request for their place in the open space of the city or their community. Just stay off the fields, courts and playgrounds. If all dog owners cleaned up after themselves leashed there dogs and stayed off "people space" we would not have the issues we do with dogs in public spaces but dog owners do not follow rules they abuse or flaunt them from a sense of entitlement that is hard to understand and painful to hear be presented as some grievance.
I would rather that field be
I would rather that field be a parking lot than a little league field. The way the cars are parked all season long creates congestion on PH Ave to a point that an already too narrow two way street, with parking already on one side becomes a one lane trap. I'm not looking forward to more games.
Can you link to these petitions? How about the people stay off and we just let nature reclaim? After all, can we be really sure it's dog poop?
If there were more dog
If there were more dog friendly spaces there would be less violation of the "people space."
Yes there is a process, yes I've read the process, no it is not simple. It requires a great deal of planning, community support, funding, etc... Correct me if I'm wrong but the space in question (upper upper field on parker hill) is property of the Hospital. So it would also require their approval? Then you have a 1 year probation period. You could also have an additional 6 month trial period like the off-leash designated areas of the Boston Common, and there aren't really any reason limitations to why the city could revoke the status of the DRS at any time in this process. Its fairly arbitrary.
Once the DRS is established the party applying for the DRS is in charge of maintenance, renewing, violation remediation, etc... Parks while it ultimately governs the existence of the park doesn't actually provide any services.
Boston isn't exactly sprawling with dog parks. The city only recognizes two official off-leash areas. That's pretty low. When I lived in DC I was within walking distance of 2 such recognized parks.
All grievances are painful to hear if you don't agree with them.
The other day when I saw the
The other day when I saw the Globe pictures about the therapy dogs coming to town, I thought how nice look at all the people loving on the dogs and feeling a bit better, even for a moment.
My next thought was to when the next dog park pissin contest would start and here we go.
Yes, things are going back to normal...
Dude...don't you know the UHub hot spots by now?
Bicyclists and their rights and dogs always rank high in the comment count. Gotta play to the base!!!!
Not on an athletic field.
I'm a dog owner, and even though I do let my dog off leash where it's not legal (I make sure there's nobody around to be bothered by the dog, like the Esplanade in the rain, for example) I'd never let my dog on a children's athletic field. The thought of some kid sliding into base and getting dog waste ground into his skin is just gross.