Off-leash courtesy hours may become law

City dogs can still roam free from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. in some of the city's parks after the City's Supreme Court tossed out a lawsuit filed in May by the Juniper Park Civic Association.
The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) ruled recently to allow the Parks Department to codify its long-standing &#8220courtesy hours,” which have allowed owners to let their dogs off their leashes during that twelve-hour period.
&#8220The Parks Department looks forward to codify the successful long-standing courtesy hours policy,” said Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe. &#8220For the last two decades, this policy has allowed dog owners to exercise and socialize their pets in desolate areas during certain hours. The daily presence of dog owners during early morning and late evening hours and fewer reports of dog bites have also made parks safer.”
Juniper Civic president Robert Holden is still considering whether to appeal the ruling and fight for the &#8220off-leash” policy to be removed from the books.
Meanwhile, rejoicing dog owners like Bob Marino, president of NYCdog.org, an umbrella organization encompassing 30,000 dog owners across the city, praised the recent moves by city agencies to firmly establish the leash rules.
&#8220This opened the door to great communication to allow the dog owners to be considered just like civic associations,” Marlin said. &#8220We are now one of the groups that city parks will listen to.”
Marino said that with only 44 dog runs in the city and a price tag to build dog runs somewhere between $150,000 and $200,000, owners had often used the early morning and late night hours to lets their dogs run free.
&#8220One of the issues in Queens is that many people do have backyards,” Marino said. &#8220But most behaviorists understand that if you put your dog in the yard, it's like a grass prison . . . They [dogs] can't run around and chase their tails all day.”
Now these romps will be allowed in some parks - not in small parks or ones that have dog runs, said a Parks Department spokesperson. In addition, parks that experience an increase in out-of-control animals or dog bites will lose the privilege.
&#8220We want to solve problems where they arise, prevent incidents, and improve conditions so that those with dogs can enjoy them and those without dogs can feel safe,” Marino said, explaining that owners' groups should be the first to point out rule breakers. &#8220One bad apple can ruin it for the lot.”
Over coming months, the Parks Department will begin a massive education campaign to alert park visitors of the new rules and existing ones - including the responsibility of dog owners to pick up after their pooches and properly control their pets.
After a call was put out by the DOHMH for public input, about 13,470 comments were submitted - 13,268 of which were from individuals and organizations who were in favor of the &#8220off leash” policy, and 202 answers were from residents who feared that allowing dogs to run without their leashes could give owners the go-ahead to let dangerous animals loose.
&#8220Practically every day we hear from people who are harassed and threatened by unleashed dogs before 9 a.m. in Juniper Valley Park,” said Lorraine Sciulli, during her testimony to the DOHMH in November. &#8220Young children accompanied by their parents trying to cross the park to get to their destination are faced with huge unleashed dogs. This scares them, and why wouldn't it?”
&#8220My prediction is that people will continually be attacked and intimidated by these unleashed dogs,” Holden said. &#8220It is probably going to take a tragedy to change it.”
The one upside to the recent codification of the off-leash policy, Holden said, is the increased attention by the Parks Department and DOHMH towards pet owners and their furry friends.
&#8220At the very least there will be stricter guidelines for dogs and their owners,” he said, explaining that in some parks dogs were unleashed as early as 5 p.m. Now dog owners will have to wait until 9 p.m.