Layhill Park in Montgomery County used to be the same way. Probably still is, but the ICC is going through at least part of it, so don't know what it's like now. Sunday mornings were particularly bad with so many dogs running around off leash, it made birding rather unpleasant. And I LOVE dogs, just not other peoples when they jump up to say hi with mud all over them, and get your pants filthy. The folks who let their dogs run free are, in my opinion, not very responsible pet owners, as it's a dangerous thing to let a dog off leash in places adjacent to busy roads (we had one of our adopted pets struck by a car and killed when he got out of the house accidently). Just not very responsible.
Rick Sussman
Woodbine,MD
There certainly were off-leash dogs at Battery Kemble Park, DC, when I was there on Monday. Jason is right on when he says Battery Kemble is a de facto dog park.
And the last time I was at Dumbarton Oaks Park in Georgetown, also administered by the NPS and full of "no dogs off leash" notices, the place was full of roaming dogs.
We Bethesdans have the same situation in Norwood Park in Chevy Chase, MD, a Montgomery County/MNCPPC park. I bird there frequently and despite the notices, 90% of the many dogs that are almost always present run around unrestrained.
I like dogs as much as the next birder, and I appreciate that all dogs (like people) need exercise, but the flagrant disregard of the postings (and of other park users) by so many dog owners is a favorite complaint of mine. I particularly dislike to see dogs paddling through clean creeks and swimming in ponds that attract water birds. When I have complained to authorities about the lack of policing, the universal response from park employees is "We just don't have the personnel to enforce the prohibition."
Mike Bowen
Bethesda, MD
-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Bowen <>
To:
Sent: Tue, Oct 27, 2009 4:24 pm
Subject: Re: [MDOSPREY] Off-leash dogs at Battery Kemble
Thanks, Jason, for the clarification.
There certainly were off-leash dogs at Battery Kemble Park, DC, when I was there on Monday. Jason is right on when he says Battery Kemble is a de facto dog park.
And the last time I was at Dumbarton Oaks Park in Georgetown, also administered by the NPS and full of "no dogs off leash" notices, the place was full of roaming dogs.
We Bethesdans have the same situation in Norwood Park in Chevy Chase, MD, a Montgomery County/MNCPPC park. I bird there frequently and despite the notices, 90% of the many dogs that are almost always present run around unrestrained.
I like dogs as much as the next birder, and I appreciate that all dogs (like people) need exercise, but the flagrant disregard of the postings (and of other park users) by so many dog owners is a favorite complaint of mine. I particularly dislike to see dogs paddling through clean creeks and swimming in ponds that attract water birds. When I have complained to authorities about the lack of policing, the universal response from park employees is "We just don't have the personnel to enforce the prohibition."
Mike Bowen
Bethesda, MD
At 03:44 PM 10/27/2009 -0400, Jason Waanders wrote:
>I generally avoid mixing my work (as an Interior Department lawyer) >with birding, but I'll make an exception to correct one point in Mike's post.
>
>Battery Kemble is administered by the National Park Service, and >dogs off-leash are prohibited, as they are at all local NPS parks. >Some NPS parks, like Battery Kemble and Ft. Bayard Park (where I >regularly bird), have become de facto dog parks--I suspect this >occurs because NPS does not enforce its regulation as frequently as >DC does for DC city parks. But the off-leash dogs are still not legal.
>
>Jason Waanders
>NW DC
>jwaandersATstarpower.net
D.H. Michael Bowen
8609 Ewing Drive
Bethesda, MD 20817
Telephone: (301) 530-5764
e-mail: dhmbowenATyahooDOTcom
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