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Boston looks to move animal shelter from Roslindale to Franklin Park

By adamg on Thu, 10/26/2023 - 9:28am

The Bay State Banner reports, says some people are getting tired of stuff getting dumped in Franklin Park; city says the new animal shelter would be in an area already used for park maintenance vehicles.

Neighborhoods: 
Jamaica Plain
Roslindale
Roxbury
Free tagging: 
Mahler Road
Franklin Park


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Comments

By Sock_Puppet on Thu, 10/26/2023 - 9:40am.

Maybe the two projects can find some synergy: people struggling with addiction might find some solace in helping to take care of animals.

Also:

“It looks like the park is becoming the dumping ground for everything the city wants to do and doesn’t want to antagonize communities where there’s more political clout, more political respect,” said Louis Elisa, president of the Garrison-Trotter Neighborhood Association, which borders the northern side of the park.

Yeah, like mighty Archdale.

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By Rwgfy on Thu, 10/26/2023 - 10:14am.

Franklin Park is going the way of Boston Common

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By Ron Newman on Thu, 10/26/2023 - 10:19am.

that it will soon also get a large sculpture, a beer garden, more live music, and Shakespeare performances in the summer?

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By Daan on Thu, 10/26/2023 - 2:24pm.

Of the 5 ideas that were talked about this is the worst. Using an example of a large ugly sculpture does not sell the idea.

Franklin Park is actually already a location for music. Music loud enough to hear it miles away at midnight. There are also the festivals which provide live and recorded music audible miles away.

Shakespeare in the Park - in the golf course - would be nice. Better use of that part of the park than to be used by the extreme minority of people who can afford golf clubs.

Franklin Park was not designed to be used for purposes that are not park related.

Converting Shattuck to house homeless folks is obvious for the reality: A project for a construction company. Sheltering people is the secondary concern and one that will be treated as a secondary concern once it is established.

Spending part of the land as an animal shelter is also as much a construction project.

That the park abuts neighborhoods seen as easy pushovers is part of the problem. This is one instance where the one neighborhood that tends to be voter rich and be a good source of campaign funds (Jamaica Plain) can help neighborhoods that are not favored as highly since they don't produce enough campaign funds.

What about Widett Circle for these projects? It provides plenty of room for construction companies to satisfy their appetite, is more centrally located and can result in improving the most easily accessible urban wilds in the city.

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By merlinmurph on Thu, 10/26/2023 - 6:30pm.

Better use of that part of the park than to be used by the extreme minority of people who can afford golf clubs.

That's a joke, right?

I don't even golf, but I know if you look around, you can find clubs for free, or close to it. Not every golfer belongs to TCC, pal.

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By ElizaLeila on Fri, 10/27/2023 - 9:33am.

That the park abuts neighborhoods seen as easy pushovers is part of the problem. This is one instance where the one neighborhood that tends to be voter rich and be a good source of campaign funds (Jamaica Plain) can help neighborhoods that are not favored as highly since they don't produce enough campaign funds.

I can bet that this thought never entered the process until there were objections.

What happens is, someone knows their space needs something fixed about it, whether it's wholly unsuitable or just needs some minor upgrades. If the former, they look around at existing buildings/spaces that are under- or simply not used, and make a request.

In this case, a park seems an ideal space to place an animal shelter nearby. And the idea grows from there.

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By HenryAlan 2.0 on Thu, 10/26/2023 - 10:34am.

I have to admit, my first thought was that it was a solution in search of a problem, but the point about walking paths for dogs seems on point. Then I got to this part, and my heart melted a little bit:

The limited space means that the shelter’s cats experience increased stress from the constant barking of the dogs,

If the Roslindale location is ill-suited to the needs of the animals, then it certainly makes sense to find a new, more suitable facility.

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By iamblued on Thu, 10/26/2023 - 12:27pm.

The current building was not built as a shelter and would always be a stopgap until a purpose-built shelter was built…fast forward 25 years, and animal and staff are still waiting.

Our building is grossly inadequate and does not allow us to properly space or insulate animals from each other to reduce kennel stress. Furthermore, pre-pandemic we were able to keep our animal numbers manageable, but as both ARL and MSPCA have reduced their services, alongside an increase in abandoned and surrendered animals, our shelter is operating at capacity for close to a year now. It’s a really bad situation for animals and workers.

Disclosure: I work at the shelter in question.

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By Kinopio on Thu, 10/26/2023 - 1:06pm.

I hope the shelter dogs like getting attacked by all the off leash dogs that asshole dog owners let loose in Franklin Park.

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By lbb on Thu, 10/26/2023 - 2:30pm.

I hope the shelter dogs like getting attacked by all the off leash dogs that asshole dog owners let loose in Franklin Park.

What makes you think that the shelter dogs will be "let loose in Franklin Park" to interact with these other dogs? I know, nothing - you're just grinding an ax.

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By Lee on Thu, 10/26/2023 - 6:05pm.

…. interaction and exercise with other dogs.

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By Gary C on Thu, 10/26/2023 - 4:04pm.

The limited space means that the shelter’s cats experience increased stress from the constant barking of the dogs,

I got my beloved cat here. I felt so bad the day we picked him out and had to leave him until the next day. He was cowering under a piece of cardboard while a chorus of dogs yelped incessantly.

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By Don't Panic on Sun, 10/29/2023 - 11:46pm.

Being close to Franklin Park does anyone think it will be easier for the shelter if exotic animals are turned in? I mean people have kept tigers in apartments in New York. I bet there's an ocelot or a penguin lurking around Boston somewhere as a pet.

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