Hey, there! Log in / Register
Citizen complaint of the day: Role reversal unleashed in the Public Garden
By adamg on Mon, 09/23/2019 - 10:28am
A concerned citizen files a 311 complaint about mass hysteria, cats, dogs, etc., on the more manicured side of Charles Street:
There are so many dogs, off-leash, walking through the Public Garden and through the streets of the city. It is not safe. I just passed separately a pit bull and a Doberman, both off leash. I alas I just passed a couple who were walking their cats on leash. What happens when the cats and the dogs cross paths? Leash laws need to be enforced.
Neighborhoods:
Free tagging:
Ad:
Support Universal Hub
Help keep Universal Hub going. If you like what we're up to and want to help out, please consider a (completely non-deductible) contribution.
Comments
leash
Would they have complained if it was a golden retriever off leash? I agree with the sentiment but have to wonder about calling out specific breeds.
i just dont understand
why she didnt just call 911?
And for the record, I love dogs more than most humans however if I see an off leash pit in the city, let alone in the public garden, you bet your ass I'm calling the authorities.
Pitbull
Unless the dog is attacking someone the police are not going to rush over. Lease laws aren't a high priority for the police, understandably.
Pitbulls are only vicious dogs if their owners train them that way. Raised responsibly they are just as calm and sweet as Golden Retriever. For that matter, an asshole can raise a small dog to attack strangers.
The only dogs which have "attacked" me have been leashed with the owner not paying attention. A leash means little if the owner is irresponsible. A very well trained dog doesn't need a leash, as evidenced by real service dogs.
Yep
I was bitten fairly recently & it was a leashed shiba inu. His owner had no idea what was going on.
Pitbulls are only vicious
Animals are a lot like people. Some of them act badly because they've had a hard life or have been mistreated. But like people some of them are just jerks.
also, bite/neck strength
Pitties and other 'attack' dogs have significantly higher bite strength and neck strength. When they attack, they cause more injury.
Not reeeeally
Common scenario: Someone claims that only evil people (bad guys, like in the movies) have bad dogs. - cool, hey can I pat your dog? - er no, you should stay away from my dog. - okey dokey then.
anecdotes
we've all got 'em
and by "authorities" i mean a park ranger
Agreed, anecdotes are hardly proof.
There's plenty of hard data on pit bulls. But the people who champion them are very data resistant. You can tell them how much more likely they are than any other breed of dog to attack, but they'll just explain those must be the dogs of drug dealers. I looked around the room and chose to keep it simple.
I beg to differ somewhat, BostonDog.
What you're saying about pit-bulls only being vicious if their owners train them that way is not always true. I know pit-bull owners whose dogs that were supposedly sweet and gentle, who've had their pit-bulls just turn on them just out of the blue--and seriously injured them.
I've also talked to several pit-bull owners who've said that if and when their pit-bulls pass on, they will not get another pit-bull, because they're extremely difficult to work with, temperament-wise, and have said that these dogs cannot be trusted not to fight, because they will. Not only is it in their temperament, but it's in their DNA and physique as well.
Why?
Because you have a bias not borne out by reality?
Like any other dog, pibbles are not psycho unless their owners abuse them. Most are very loyal and many are the sweetest puppers you'll ever meet!
Our neighbor has one. She is smart, walks at heel, stays exactly on her family's property, and might dissolve you in happy drooling. They have small kids and no problems with this dog.
Park Department would be handling this
And 311 is one of the better ways to contact them (though I have found them to be responsive in other formats, too.)
thats why i said "the authorities"
that would cover Parks Depts
not too mention, if youre in the $&@^@ park, just find a ranger
"Just find a ranger"
Oh, that was a good one.
Human sacrifice, dogs and
Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together – mass hysteria.
Should this quote be attributed to Peter Venkman
in Ghostbusters?
If I recall, wasn't Abe Froman the Sausage King of Chicago in Ferris Bueller?
(Yes, I have too much time on my hands).
Complainer focusing on the wrong problem
Anyone leash walking their cat is abusing that animal.
Fortunately for us, the cat will get its revenge later that night by pooping in their shoes.
There are areas of the park
There are areas of the park for dogs to be off leash.
https://friendsofthepublicgarden.org/our-parks/the-common/common-canine/
No, there are not
Re-read your link and look for a reference to a section of the Public Garden where dogs are allowed off leash. There are none.
From the first paragraph:
From the first paragraph:
"Approved by the Parks Commission in 2013, the Program aims to engage dog owners as active stewards of the park, to establish and enforce clear rules and expectations around dogs in the park, and to create a long-term, sustainable mechanism for restoring and renewing those areas of the park that are used for dog recreation. It is the first approved off-leash area in a city park that does not fence off and designate a single-use restricted space in this historically open park of shared use."
There is also a map of these areas right below it.
And the map is of?
The Boston Common, which indeed does have off leash areas, but alas is a different park from the Public Garden, separated by Charles Street. One is the first park in America (allegedly) while the other was laid out on made land a few centuries later.
I mean, the top of the webpage notes the program is for the Common- in big letters. Would it have been so tough to read the top of the page?
Public Garden is not a park or playground
It is a botanical garden with a changing specifically planted species of plants and trees to be admired. The Common is the correct venue for off-leash dogs (there’s a special area for them), game playing, etc.
I wish the enforcement would be stepped up at the Public Garden. I see people climbing and sitting on fragile tree limbs, toddlers picking flowers while their parents watch, ball playing, people operating remote control cars, bicycle riding, huge dogs romping off leash, etc. Some of those activities are allowed at the Common, but against the rules at the Public Garden. Rules are posted at most entrances, but too many people are thoughtless and self-interested.
Why does anyone think dogs
Why does anyone think dogs must be on leash, even when supervised, and cats roam free. Cats roam free outside, poop where ever they want with no responsibility placed on the owner. My pitbull was (truly) twice attacked by cats on our property. It's funny to laugh at...but in altercation with a cat lead to antibiotics (another a broken leg. But he assumes responsibility for that one)
Because cats rule
Stupid dogs don't even bury their poop.
Says my cat.
But seriously, how many cats do you see wandering around downtown? In 25 plus years, I think i saw one on a stoop in the south end. Next closest one was in Roslindale.
Plus, these days if you let your cat out, a coyote will eat it.
good cat owners keep their
good cat owners keep their cats indoor-only, just like good dog owners keep their dogs on a leash.
Give the Friends a call...
https://friendsofthepublicgarden.org/about/who-we-are/
FOPG
Friends of the Public Garden is an organization that is basically focused on fundraising and hosting special events. I believe the Boston Parks and Recreation Dept might be more helpful and a more appropriate organization to contact...they are in charge of signage (which many people ignore). The Boston Park Rangers provide safety and security but are hard to find when you need them. Like everything else that requires enforcement, funding is always the big issue. I hardly ever see rangers in the Public Garden.
Sorry to go on and on about this post, but the Public Garden is my favorite place in the city and I detest it when people behave disrespectfully there.
Backing you up on this,
Backing you up on this, MontyC. Those who want to smoke dope and run your pitbulls off leash, please use the Common and leave the Public Garden for those of us who are looking for a little fresh air, stroll in the park to de-stress, sit on a bench to read, check out the flowers/plants after a bad day, and so on and non-drug/smoking/avoiding being chased after dogs/ etc.-forth.