But your 10ft sign wouldn't work. It wouldnt make sense and wouldn't be following the city rules:
>Prospect Park Off-Leash Area
>
>**Address**: Middle & Upper Long Meadow (excludes ballfield area in the Lower Long Meadow), Nethermead, Peninsula.**Type**: Off-Leash
But you do realize that there are off leash hours in Prospect Park, right? Before 9am and after 9pm.
>**Designated Off-Leash Areas:** Some park areas allow dogs to be off leash from the time the park opens until 9:00 a.m. and from 9:00 p.m. until the park closes. The off-leash policy in certain parks may be subject to changes in consideration of resident or transient wildlife. Note: MacNeil Park Off-Leash Area is open from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. only.
[In case you need a link to those quotes...](https://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/dogareas)
I’m a gardener in prospect park and off leash dogs are a huge problem for the ecology of the park and our work. Even the most well-behaved dogs can cause unintentional damage such as breaking the leg of a baby swan so it can’t keep up with its family and gets left behind. There are lots of baby birds and turtles in the spring and when dogs are off leash they may startle or bump them with their noses and injure them.
The aggregated effects of all of the dogs using the park every day is also damaging to the plants. Soil compaction is a major cause of decline in health for trees and plants, and young plants can be easily trampled when dogs stray off the paths.
It’s also a danger for the dogs who can get attacked by geese, swans, or other dogs. The park has had raccoons in the past get sick and die from canine distemper which is fatal to dogs if they come upon a dead raccoon.
That said, I understand why owners would want their dogs to have fun being off leash! I try to give dog owners the benefit of the doubt and assume they don’t know the reasoning behind the leash rules AND I know some dog owners do know and don’t consider the risks to be worth it.
With this logic humans should’ve ceased to exist years ago. All of these issues you’re bringing up aren’t exclusive to dogs, which btw are off lease from 6-9am so i’m assuming you’re against that too? It just seems like you’re looking and reaching hard to find reasons dogs shouldn’t be off leash. Like how many dogs have broken the leg of a baby swan and soil compaction… like are you for real.
Dogs should be leashed in public to ensure others are safe and their dogs are protected etc… but to say dogs shouldn’t have the right to be able to roam free in parks is a crazy take.
I think this is a citywide issue and my fear is nothing will change until parks have updated policy enforcing the rule with fines or other consequences. It’s an issue at every park. The dog poop and dogs off leash.
Unfortunately a lot of dogs need to be able to run and play and get energy out, and the 6-foot leash law is prohibitive (it’s specifically a six foot leash on some of the signage). 9pm-9am are also rough hours for a poorly lit park in the winter. I’m not saying let untrained dogs roam free at all hours, but as it stands it’s currently very difficult to take good care of a dog and also follow the letter of the law.
I get that, but none of it overrides safety. There are offleash dog parks in the city to let them run. And again, while its not ideal, you can let them run after 9pm.
The 6 foot leash law is not enforced, nor do I really think it should be. Not like you should have a 50 foot leash, but nobody is gonna care if you have one of those long leashes that let your dog run around a bit.
Tbh I have a 50 foot leash and only let him loose to fetch a ball when other dogs and people are not around and it’s never been an issue. Never off leash though. I wasn’t aware of the 6 foot leash rule.
For me at least, when I see even a long leash, I am fine. I dont have to worry that the dog is gonna run up to my dog because I can always just tell you to pull the dog back. I get why they have the 6 foot leash rule but if you're in a field its fine to have a longer one.
>Walking my dog should not be this anxiety inducing.
It shouldn't.
Lots of irresponsible dog owners who don't train their dogs. Plenty of them. It's easy to spot once you have a well-trained dog.
Neither can you expect the world to change for you. Especially in NY.
That's a them (untrained off leashed dog) problem and also a you (anxiety) problem.
What do you do when you see an off-leash dog lost in the city then? Your therapist would say remove yourself from the situation.
There is no enforcement except from other dog owners who have no power. Until you personally experience the results of having dogs off leash you won't learn.
I live in a place with about 30 apartments and we have a shared garden area as well as a dog run. The dogs are unleashed in the dog run which is gated, but a bunch of tenants have their dogs off leash in our shared garden. Is that allowed? If it's illegal would it be the dog owner who pays the fine or the landlord?
They do but they are not enforced. They want to be able to entice more dog owners to move here because they can charge them a high rent due to it being dog-friendly.
You’ll have to start pressuring. I know of dogs getting attacked by other dogs in the garden spaces. Not sure what your recourse could be if not a coop
I also think it's worth noting that it isn't just 9 to 9, it's also in designated areas, which is the long meadow/nethermead and a few other places. Not every trail and every part of the park. So even if they pay attention to the sign, good luck getting that nuance across.
I bring my dog to the park ever single day. I off leash him every single day, we walk from the underpass to nethwrmead, sometimes the paths, sometimes to winners, too the farmers market. Off leash. We see 1000 dogs off leash. I tell aggressive dogs no, and playful dogs hello. My dog is fine with others and gets jealous, me petting other dogs shows him the other dogs arnt mean. He's a good boy, he has a few enemies but we're working in it/them/there interactions.
I've had people say "you need your dog on a leash, it's the law." I say thank you and continue walking. "They yell, PUT YOUR DOG ON A LEASH, and I say "nah. Thanks though, have a good one." They loose their shit.
Too many people, and if me with my dog ignoring you is bothering you when we arnt bothering noone, and you just want to tell me rules. I'll give you the most polite, fuck offs I can think of.
People get their panties in such a bunch, go live your life.
I moved the city 15+ years ago because you get to be yourself, fuck around, find out, do things you normally may find out of the ordinary or weird, and noone should give a fuck or be judging you.
You make the dog park seem like a shit show when over the past 4 years, ive seen problems with dogs and non dog owners a handful of times.
Most from people complaining to complain.
When you see someone shooting up on the train, you don't walk by him, pull the needle out, then tell him it's illegal. No, you walk by, shake your head in disgust, and mind your own fuck8ng business. Ide rather people treat me like an addiction then a nice person with a dog they need to talk to about rules any day of the week
Ah this totally. I detest those people too. And honestly, sometimes it's thinly veiled racism or unconscious bias. I left Park Slope because of these folks. Nobody disturbs us in Red Hook where the grown ups know how to behave (and I mean everyone including people with dogs.)
Totally get that. I literally had a interaction this am and my wife and I couldn't help hut laugh at her, it did not make her smile and we felt bad laughing but timing was just too perfect.
We were at Winners in line, met a friend who has a puppy. Our dogs were playing. A woman walked by through a pack of dogs, our two dogs bumped her leg. (One is 12lbs the other is 18lbs)
She loudly yelled OW!!!! Like someone swung and connected to her face. We just blurted out a laugh, couldn't help myself, she made that eye contact like "dont you see I'm not respected." So I kindly just let her know to be careful there is more dangerous things ahead.
Your not hurt, you don't matter, I don't matter, this interaction doesn't matter move on with your day.
LOL I don't know how these people make it in NYC if they're this fragile. Some Exposure Therapy will be good. Guess that's why they hide out in Park Slope. Ah I miss Winner. Used to be just a few blocks away so I can still get it in the morning.
Can confirm I am one of these people. Moved to NYC with my family, when we took our dogs to the park we let them off leash. I saw other dogs off leash so I figured it was legal.
Around 6 months in, my husband got yelled at over it. Nobody told us otherwise for 6 whole months! I am glad you are telling these people, because you're right, nobody (myself included...) pays attention to the small font signs.
Too many posts about dogs off leash and not enough about insane children screaming and running around with no supervision. I’d take unsupervised dogs over unsupervised children every time.
I just can’t help but wonder how much of this entire issue could be solved by just dedicating some fenced in space in the park for dogs to be off leash and then really ramping up ticketing for people still breaking the rules. There’s so much green space and the only specifically dog friendly spot is really the Kensington dog run, which is insanely small and turf? You technically can’t even have a dog off leash at “dog beach,” which feels weird
I really don't like this idea. The rules are there, we just need to decide if we want the park to enforce them or not. Prospect Park already has baseball fields (works for me, my kids use them), 2 wedding venues, an official concert venue, multiple unofficial concert venues, an ice skating rink, many many playgrounds for people with little kids, an unofficial MTB course that'll get you beaten up for walking on it, at least 4 homeless encampments....
It's supposed to be an open, relaxing, somewhat wild area that people can ramble through. We shouldn't keep ceding chunks of it to special interest groups to the detriment of everyone else. And don't even get me started on the great-summer fence off when half the south side of the park is claimed for parties with vast swatches of open grass tied off with tape.
There'll always be scofflaws but it really wouldn't take much effort to drastically reduce off-leash dogs in the park in the park staff cared to do it - whether the dogs' owners are unaware of the rules or exploiting the current lack of enforcement.
It doesn't really strike me as sensible to put Dog Beach next to a Ball Field either. How many Goldens have you seen take off after a overthrown baseball while the owner frantically screeches at it to get back here.
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The training standards need to be much higher for dog owners in the city. So many people feel like they can let their dog off leash when they get to the point they're confident it won't run away. The reality is, it should only be off leash when you are confident it will listen 100% of the time and only approach other dogs or people with your permission. Obviously, only in places where it's allowed. I do think most owners are generally good people and trying to do their best, just unfortunately don't even think of situations like yours. It's a bummer.
The city should totally invest in some sort of creative marketing campaign - similar to the subway courtesy one (don't be a poll hog) they did years ago - on the maybe not-so-obvious ways to be more courteous with your pets.
Absolutely this. Plenty of owners just assume their dogs are untrainable or this is what they're like. A well-trained dog listens and obeys. They do it because they're positively reinforced and with good cues and treats.
It's the same with driving. Plenty of people can't drive in NY. Yet they're in big murderous SUVs.
I’ll take the downvotes but I don’t think it’s that big of a deal unless you have a pitbull or similar agressive breed. It’s a giant park and the dogs should enjoy it too. This post sounds kind of hysterical.
Honey I live in the projects with these so called "aggressive dogs" all around me. Not one single dog had been anything put a wiggly butted, happy tailed goof, even the ones that are abused by their shitbag owners. You clearly don't know anything about the breed's disposition, history or what good boys and girls they really are.
You are **very** dumb.
There are off-leash hours, they can be off-leash then. Other dog owners whose dogs are reactive have the right to walk their dog during on-leash hours without some other dog with no recall whatsoever coming up to them.
I can’t tell you how many times dog owners shout “it’s okay, mine’s friendly!” Well, mine isn’t, and it’s your dog coming up to mine, not the other way around. I didn’t ask for this. Get your dog out of my dog’s face.
if your dog is so reactive then why not just walk it on the street or somewhere you won’t encounter unleashed dogs? sounds like asking for trouble if you insist on bringing it into an area you know there are going to be plenty of unleashed dogs. also, off leash hours suck, a 9am - 9pm restriction for a park that size is a bit of a joke.
If it’s so hard for you to wake up early, why not just go to a dog park?
And I like the park, that’s why. I’m not going to avoid it completely because sometimes there are selfish idiots who can’t train their dogs to come when called.
you guys just won’t give up huh?
i guess you don’t have a job because you would know that waking up early enough to walk your dog 10 blocks to the nearest park isn’t a practical option. i bet you don’t own a dog either because you would know how incredibly limited your dog park options are in the city.
you do realize though that there are countries in the world where wild dogs roam freely amongst citizens, right? you sound very privileged and need to accept that a lot of people in brooklyn have dogs and the world isn’t perfect. this is evident on the streets everywhere you go.
get a grip pal.
Dude, you’re the one who calls someone who criticizes what you say jobless, a liar, and out of touch. Pretty blatant act of immaturity there. Those 19 downvotes ding your ego?
i would say it’s your ego that’s bruised here. it’s pretty evident that you have no job and no dog. like i said, there are dogs living in the streets of other countries that you haven’t visited. you’re not a dog person and that’s ok. let it go dude.
There is no such thing as an "aggressive" breed. Breeds that can do more damage than others? Absolutely.
But by your logic Dobermans, Huskies, Pitbulls, Great Danes, German Sheperds etc should all be banned. All can do the same amount of damage. All that would be left is mini poodles (again, according to YOUR logic.)
Dogs can be leashed AND enjoy the park. I have a 25 and 50 foot leash I used for my dog, for example. It allows her to roam while still having a safety feature for either another dog to flee or me to reel her in depending on who is starting the fight. Never had to use it, but I understand why it's a rule.
“mauled” as in the dog ran up to you quickly and you felt uncomfortable? i get your point, i really do, but it just seems like everyone is a bit hysterical about this topic.
Right, and if that chill dog runs up randomly to the pit bull? That's the problem. Off leash dogs run up to dogs all the time. The owners always act like nothing bad will happen, but bad shit happens all the time.
then walk your pit bull on the sidewalk where you won’t encounter so many unleashed dogs, it’s common sense. or are you just looking for trouble? and no, bad shit doesn’t actually happen all the time, i’ve been taking my dog to prospect park for years and i promise you are highly exaggerating.
a good solution would be to designate a much larger off-leash area in the park, similar to the way many beaches have an alcohol section where people can drink freely, and then highly enforce the rest of the beach where alcohol is not allowed.
if you own a dog in brooklyn then you understand how insanely limited your options are when it comes to parks and places your dog can get some exercise. it’s a bit crazy that the rules of prospect park don’t allow off-leashed dogs from 9am - 9pm when it’s an absolutely massive park. of course people aren’t going to follow the rules.
Yeah I learned my lesson about letting people know about park rules. Last week some dude with a metal detector was using a shovel to dig huge holes by the Lincoln Rd entrance on the east side. My friend said to ignore it but it was just so egregious, he was digging large holes all over the place. You’re allowed to use metal detectors in the park on Saturday and Sunday but you must have a permit and you can’t use a shovel, only hand tools like a trowel. So I walked up and said “hey man you you can’t dig holes like that in the park”
“oh yeah you think so?”
“yeah, this is everyone’s park dude you can’t just dig up the lawn like this”
“you know that? you sure about that? you know?”
“yes, I’m sure… we can look it up—“
“okay let’s look it up, look it up f-ggot. yeah, you heard me f-ggot.
“what are you even looking for with these holes?”
“mind your business before I beat your f-ggot ass with this shovel”
Judging him to be unhinged and having nothing to defend myself with against a shovel, I told him to fuck off and walked away. I considered calling 911 but that seemed like an overreaction. But fuck that piece of shit. I hate him getting away with it.
You're also not supposed to run red lights, or block the box, or make a right on red, or double park, or go over the speed limit or....so many other laws. That's just traffic laws and they don't get enforced. You think those same cops are going to be out there enforcing leash laws? Or metal detector laws?
They have to go harrass protestors or fare evaders, ya know, stuff that really matters, real hardened criminals.
he absolutely was breaking rules. I had already looked them up and I checked again afterward. This was a Monday— strike one. He was using a two-handed shovel, not a single-handed trowel, strike two. He didn’t fill the holes back in, strike three. Fuck that guy.
You’re telling me he does this often? White or Hispanic guy with dark facial hair, slightly bigger maybe 6’1-6’2 maybe a little heavyset. Was wearing a black hoodie/coat and jeans I think.
Oh yeah just when we show up he doesn’t do anything. We kinda have to see it to do something about it.
Best advice is get a description and make a 311 complaint. Especially include any statements he might make that constitute a “bias” against a group of people. If he’s been harassing people that crosses a line into a more serious area.
Of course they know. They live here. They know how owning a dog here works. What else are they gonna say, "yeah but I don't care because no one's going to stop me"?
Why would they know? A ton of parks in the country allow you to have dogs off leash. There's no PSAs about this. The sign is super small font and nobody looks at it.
Yeah I'm with you. My impression is that since covid, a lot of new dog owners have taken it to be the norm that off leash is not "allowed" in the same way that driving 5mph over the speed limit is not allowed. Or drinking wine in the park on a Sunday afternoon is not allowed.
Your dog must be on leash in NYC in public except in specified areas. If you own a dog it is your responsibility to know this information. Just like you are responsible for ensuring they are properly vaccinated.
You are still in the wrong if you make a right on a red in NYC, even though it is legal almost everywhere else. It is your responsibility as a driver to understand this rule. Same deal.
This isn't a state park in Iowa, man. You don't get to be a dog owner here and not stumble across some of the most basic rules. If you tell me once a month you run into someone who doesn't know, fine maybe they're a fresh transplant or something. But the frequency is way higher than that
Again, they are not stumbling across these rules, because why would they? They go to the park maybe once every 2-3 weeks with their dog if I had to guess. They aren't reading the signs. Why would they know?
Why aren't they reading the signs? ANY of the signs, all over the city? Why are they taking their dogs to the park and specifically choosing to ignore the rules on what to do when you take your dog to the park?
Why aren't they talking to other dog owners? Why aren't they talking to other *non* dog owners? Why aren't they observing that no one else is doing this? Why do you think they are in an isolated bubble while in a wildly popular park in a dense city?
How do you think all of these people simultaneously live in a cave in the desert and also take their dogs to the biggest and most popular Brooklyn park multiple times a week? They are not recluses. They are people who live and exist and have dogs in and around Brooklyn.
Are you just fucking with me?
> Why aren't they observing that no one else is doing this?
Because they are observing the opposite, they look and see other dogs off leash and think its okay for them.
Most people do not read park sign rules. I mean... who does? If they are just going in for 30 minutes for a little dog walk? Its a small sign nobody pays attention to.
> Its a small sign nobody pays attention to.
They're all over every park, man. I truly don't understand why you're twisting yourself into such wild gymnastics to make excuses for them.
I agree, that sign is pretty pathetic.
That said, I’ll tell you what I do when an off leash dog even looks like it’s coming at us. I’m always amazed that it works, but it does. In my biggest most commanding voice, I say Stop! And the dogs are either used to that command, or they are totally baffled by this perfect stranger commanding them. It gives their owner a chance to run up and get them, and it also tells my dogs that I’m in charge and they don’t have to be. Then I tell my dogs, Leave it (maybe a few times) and the other dog usually listens to that, too.
One other thing. Your dog is sensing your anxiety, and they think they need to be anxious too. So, I know it’s hard, but try to keep your cool. I usually don’t even bother making eye contact with the owner, never mind saying anything. They can tell I’m pretty annoyed.
Yeah I do that actually, albeit I say "NO" instead of stop. It works some of the time, but the problem is my dog starts barking at them usually before I even notice them. That makes the other dogs get reactive regardless of what I am yelling at them.
I get it. Try keeping your dog closer to you. I have to keep my cattle dog on a short enough leash that so I can be ready when she sees a bird, or a squirrel, or even a blowing leaf that she thinks she needs to chase or herd.
I have a golden retriever-cocker spaniel mix who was attacked by a neighbor’s dog several years ago. For a while time after it happened, he would bark at any dog that looked at him weird (even if both dogs were on leash) often causing a negative reaction from the other dog. It took a lot of dedicated effort, but eventually I trained him to trust me to protect him, and now he seems calm even when approached by off leash pets. I started by just putting myself between his eye line and the other dog and giving him high-value treats and went from there. Just sharing in case it’s helpful to hear a success story about a similar experience - I 100% agree that taking your dog off leash is irresponsible and dangerous for your own dog and others, and I’m sorry it’s affecting you so much.
Yeah the eye line thing and treat thing is what our trainer told us. I think it would be easier to train him if the other dogs didn't commonly instigate by barking back at my dog :/
There are huge signs like this at Ft Tilden and still people just ignore them and bring their dogs anyway. This one guy I saw was consciously evading the horseback police who were sending people with dogs home. Eventually the Nat Parks Police found him and arrested him.
I was in Central Park at the Ramble one time and told this lady she couldn’t have her dog off leash. She was like “oh yeah I can”. She was standing inches from the no off leash dogs sign.
And don’t get me started about all the people bringing their dogs on the subway. At this point with all of the schmucky owners and dog poop everywhere I have just come to dislike dogs period.
Word. I live near von King Park and the offleash dogs have just destroyed the biggest lawn. There's a dog run but these people just aren't satisfied with that, so they take the place where kids used to be able to play soccer, etc, knowing full well no sane parent will let their kids play in an area where now there's parasites and literal shit. I love dogs, but I loathe these owners.
Has it gotten worse or is it just me? Mentally in my head I call my neighborhood "Dog Shit City". When it snowed the other week I stepped in dog shit hidden under the snow twice in like 2 hours of being outside
i alwasys thought it was my imagination that no one picks up their dog poop when there is snow on the ground. Like maybe it was just the contrast between the white snow and the brown poop that made me think it was more prevalent. Dog owner friends confirmed it's not my imagination. And yeah, overall, MUCH more dog poop on sidewalks.
I feel like people say this because they want to view them as purely assholes and write it off as that. I have brought this up to them a lot, they always do seem genuinely unaware of the laws. They don't seem like assholes at all, and they put their dogs on a leash the moment I say its illegal and there's a fine. Most parks in the country allow you to have your dog off leash, its not exactly confusing as to why they would presume its the case in brooklyn too.
And why would they be aware? Most, in my experience, recently moved here, and usually don't go to the park often. They aren't gonna read that small little sign. The ones who do bring their dogs to the park everyday don't do it because if they did, they likely would have gotten a ticket by now (even if that only happens rarely, it will *eventually* happen) and wouldn't want to risk it.
I’ve been to prospect a handful of times with my dog and had no idea off-leash dogs weren’t allowed. Especially near the dog beach area. So many are running around free and I’ve never seen a sign. Cops in the area have commented on how cute she is while off leash (she’s tiny). The park is huge and it’s like a jungle, I really think people are oblivious.
That is an extremely charitable view but it does indicate that you are a kind person. I'm a bit more cynical and think these people have the "What? Me? Who? Mr. Kotter?" act down cold.
Well, you’re probably both right. I think people exist in both of those categories, so the signs would maybe help a percentage of the problem.
For the inconsiderate ones, the only thing that would help is getting fined regularly.
A bunch of them I talked to for a while (I only talk to them when I have my nice dog lol) and I never got that vibe. Well sometimes I guess some might come off that way lol.
Honestly I went into it thinking most would be standoffish or act entitled. There were a handful which were kind of like that, but most were just like "wait, what the fuck, really?" basically. Especially when you mention there's a fine. Again, almost universally, when I talked to these people, they don't commonly walk their dogs in the park. They might live quite a bit away and are doing a trip to the park. People who regularly walk their dogs in the park will have gotten in trouble with the cops for letting their dogs off leash eventually and (most likely) stopped.
This sub is exceptionally cynical, you’re yelling into the wind. I am really grateful for voices like yours that are willing to hear people out and understand that not everyone is some big bad asshole. Just want to let you know you’re very appreciated today.
It's just how people are in general. I work as a criminologist, and any attempt to combat the root of why crime happens is met with "but they are evil! they will never learn, they are monsters and THATS THAT!" They don't want to hear any cause-and-effect which might potentially humanize people that they despise. Even if its a potential solution that works, it infuriates them. Even something as simple as "child abuse increases the risk of adult criminality in the victim" is met with "why are we making excuses for criminals!?"
Its the same kind of attitude here. People don't want to hear that most of these people just aren't aware of the rules. That's too easy, its giving them an 'excuse'. They want to hear that they are evil, careless monsters who will never change their ways.
Completely agree. I've had dogs run up to my kids who are sometimes about the same size. I shouldn't have to worry about my kids getting mauled by dogs in a public park when they're not in their stroller.
Well, to be fair, I feel the same way in reserve as we often have kids who aren’t being watched well by their parents run up to our dog in the park, even while she’s leashed. She’s gentle but still just worries me that people don’t seem to train their kids even on the basics of what to do around animals.
Most people are fine with it lol. Kids are usually home by that point, it's dark. Most people left in the park are there to walk their dogs. Don't like it? Go to another park lol.
OP never said where the incident occurred. Putting up signs that say “no off leash dogs allowed” doesn’t make sense because there are clearly rules about allowing them.
If you own a dog it's your responsibility to know which parks allow off leash and when. Prospect park more than others does a great job advertising off leash hours. And if you haven't looked up those rules, given that we're in NY State and the state law is to leash your dog, your dog should be leashed.
But your 10ft sign wouldn't work. It wouldnt make sense and wouldn't be following the city rules: >Prospect Park Off-Leash Area > >**Address**: Middle & Upper Long Meadow (excludes ballfield area in the Lower Long Meadow), Nethermead, Peninsula.**Type**: Off-Leash But you do realize that there are off leash hours in Prospect Park, right? Before 9am and after 9pm. >**Designated Off-Leash Areas:** Some park areas allow dogs to be off leash from the time the park opens until 9:00 a.m. and from 9:00 p.m. until the park closes. The off-leash policy in certain parks may be subject to changes in consideration of resident or transient wildlife. Note: MacNeil Park Off-Leash Area is open from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. only. [In case you need a link to those quotes...](https://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/dogareas)
I’m a gardener in prospect park and off leash dogs are a huge problem for the ecology of the park and our work. Even the most well-behaved dogs can cause unintentional damage such as breaking the leg of a baby swan so it can’t keep up with its family and gets left behind. There are lots of baby birds and turtles in the spring and when dogs are off leash they may startle or bump them with their noses and injure them. The aggregated effects of all of the dogs using the park every day is also damaging to the plants. Soil compaction is a major cause of decline in health for trees and plants, and young plants can be easily trampled when dogs stray off the paths. It’s also a danger for the dogs who can get attacked by geese, swans, or other dogs. The park has had raccoons in the past get sick and die from canine distemper which is fatal to dogs if they come upon a dead raccoon. That said, I understand why owners would want their dogs to have fun being off leash! I try to give dog owners the benefit of the doubt and assume they don’t know the reasoning behind the leash rules AND I know some dog owners do know and don’t consider the risks to be worth it.
With this logic humans should’ve ceased to exist years ago. All of these issues you’re bringing up aren’t exclusive to dogs, which btw are off lease from 6-9am so i’m assuming you’re against that too? It just seems like you’re looking and reaching hard to find reasons dogs shouldn’t be off leash. Like how many dogs have broken the leg of a baby swan and soil compaction… like are you for real. Dogs should be leashed in public to ensure others are safe and their dogs are protected etc… but to say dogs shouldn’t have the right to be able to roam free in parks is a crazy take.
I think this is a citywide issue and my fear is nothing will change until parks have updated policy enforcing the rule with fines or other consequences. It’s an issue at every park. The dog poop and dogs off leash.
Unfortunately a lot of dogs need to be able to run and play and get energy out, and the 6-foot leash law is prohibitive (it’s specifically a six foot leash on some of the signage). 9pm-9am are also rough hours for a poorly lit park in the winter. I’m not saying let untrained dogs roam free at all hours, but as it stands it’s currently very difficult to take good care of a dog and also follow the letter of the law.
I get that, but none of it overrides safety. There are offleash dog parks in the city to let them run. And again, while its not ideal, you can let them run after 9pm. The 6 foot leash law is not enforced, nor do I really think it should be. Not like you should have a 50 foot leash, but nobody is gonna care if you have one of those long leashes that let your dog run around a bit.
Tbh I have a 50 foot leash and only let him loose to fetch a ball when other dogs and people are not around and it’s never been an issue. Never off leash though. I wasn’t aware of the 6 foot leash rule.
For me at least, when I see even a long leash, I am fine. I dont have to worry that the dog is gonna run up to my dog because I can always just tell you to pull the dog back. I get why they have the 6 foot leash rule but if you're in a field its fine to have a longer one.
But… dogs are allowed off leash in prospect park, during off leash hours. So that would be a pretty confusing sign.
Or you could mind your own dog, and leave other people to their own business.
Found the irresponsible dog owner.
The city has way bigger problems than unleashed dogs
I have been attacked 7 times by dogs in the park
7 times is crazy -
I have been running there almost every day for 13 years, so now it doesn’t sound as bad.
>Walking my dog should not be this anxiety inducing. It shouldn't. Lots of irresponsible dog owners who don't train their dogs. Plenty of them. It's easy to spot once you have a well-trained dog. Neither can you expect the world to change for you. Especially in NY. That's a them (untrained off leashed dog) problem and also a you (anxiety) problem. What do you do when you see an off-leash dog lost in the city then? Your therapist would say remove yourself from the situation.
its part of the entitlement mentality of the park slopers
+10000000%
There is no enforcement except from other dog owners who have no power. Until you personally experience the results of having dogs off leash you won't learn.
This is absolutely not true: Rangers are out often giving tickets and warnings. Almost daily.
Maybe in Prospect Park, tho I have never seen it. But certainly not in local parks like Herbert Von King or Brower Park where I hang out often.
Prospect Park, they are actively ticketing and giving warnings. You might want to contact parks for enforcement to pay a visit.
I live in a place with about 30 apartments and we have a shared garden area as well as a dog run. The dogs are unleashed in the dog run which is gated, but a bunch of tenants have their dogs off leash in our shared garden. Is that allowed? If it's illegal would it be the dog owner who pays the fine or the landlord?
It is private property the city would not be able to enforce. Your complex should have policies, rules regarding the shared space. Do they not?
They do but they are not enforced. They want to be able to entice more dog owners to move here because they can charge them a high rent due to it being dog-friendly.
You’ll have to start pressuring. I know of dogs getting attacked by other dogs in the garden spaces. Not sure what your recourse could be if not a coop
It may have to be that someone gets hurt before they act.
thank you for that info!
yeah that won't help
I also think it's worth noting that it isn't just 9 to 9, it's also in designated areas, which is the long meadow/nethermead and a few other places. Not every trail and every part of the park. So even if they pay attention to the sign, good luck getting that nuance across.
there should be felony charges for dog attacks then people would follow the god damn law
I bring my dog to the park ever single day. I off leash him every single day, we walk from the underpass to nethwrmead, sometimes the paths, sometimes to winners, too the farmers market. Off leash. We see 1000 dogs off leash. I tell aggressive dogs no, and playful dogs hello. My dog is fine with others and gets jealous, me petting other dogs shows him the other dogs arnt mean. He's a good boy, he has a few enemies but we're working in it/them/there interactions. I've had people say "you need your dog on a leash, it's the law." I say thank you and continue walking. "They yell, PUT YOUR DOG ON A LEASH, and I say "nah. Thanks though, have a good one." They loose their shit. Too many people, and if me with my dog ignoring you is bothering you when we arnt bothering noone, and you just want to tell me rules. I'll give you the most polite, fuck offs I can think of. People get their panties in such a bunch, go live your life. I moved the city 15+ years ago because you get to be yourself, fuck around, find out, do things you normally may find out of the ordinary or weird, and noone should give a fuck or be judging you. You make the dog park seem like a shit show when over the past 4 years, ive seen problems with dogs and non dog owners a handful of times. Most from people complaining to complain. When you see someone shooting up on the train, you don't walk by him, pull the needle out, then tell him it's illegal. No, you walk by, shake your head in disgust, and mind your own fuck8ng business. Ide rather people treat me like an addiction then a nice person with a dog they need to talk to about rules any day of the week
Ah this totally. I detest those people too. And honestly, sometimes it's thinly veiled racism or unconscious bias. I left Park Slope because of these folks. Nobody disturbs us in Red Hook where the grown ups know how to behave (and I mean everyone including people with dogs.)
Totally get that. I literally had a interaction this am and my wife and I couldn't help hut laugh at her, it did not make her smile and we felt bad laughing but timing was just too perfect. We were at Winners in line, met a friend who has a puppy. Our dogs were playing. A woman walked by through a pack of dogs, our two dogs bumped her leg. (One is 12lbs the other is 18lbs) She loudly yelled OW!!!! Like someone swung and connected to her face. We just blurted out a laugh, couldn't help myself, she made that eye contact like "dont you see I'm not respected." So I kindly just let her know to be careful there is more dangerous things ahead. Your not hurt, you don't matter, I don't matter, this interaction doesn't matter move on with your day.
LOL I don't know how these people make it in NYC if they're this fragile. Some Exposure Therapy will be good. Guess that's why they hide out in Park Slope. Ah I miss Winner. Used to be just a few blocks away so I can still get it in the morning.
Thats why theyre trying to drain the life out the city; so they can have a new safe suburb.
Yeah, live out in flatbush, once a week we like to walk there and get a coffee. It's a nice walk, dog likes it and sees friends
it doesnt matter how big a sign is or how easy it is to read, most people just dont care.
Can confirm I am one of these people. Moved to NYC with my family, when we took our dogs to the park we let them off leash. I saw other dogs off leash so I figured it was legal. Around 6 months in, my husband got yelled at over it. Nobody told us otherwise for 6 whole months! I am glad you are telling these people, because you're right, nobody (myself included...) pays attention to the small font signs.
Worse are the people who do this on the sidewalk
I don't get that at all. i'd be so afraid of my dog running out into traffic.
You're right some of those dogs are scary as fuck.
Let’s not forget the anxiety it brings to the wild life in the parks.
Too many posts about dogs off leash and not enough about insane children screaming and running around with no supervision. I’d take unsupervised dogs over unsupervised children every time.
Dogs are not humans. Stop being a creep.
Damn your whole comment history is just shitting on dogs lol, what a fun personality you have.
ah yes because dogs are so inherently wonderful.
Oh way better than your snot nosed children
+1000%
Dogs aren't allowed anywhere in public in NYC without a leash. Having a sign like that would be like having big red "Follow the law" signs.
But when you actually go to the park, you see lots of offleash dogs and presume its legal in the park.
I just can’t help but wonder how much of this entire issue could be solved by just dedicating some fenced in space in the park for dogs to be off leash and then really ramping up ticketing for people still breaking the rules. There’s so much green space and the only specifically dog friendly spot is really the Kensington dog run, which is insanely small and turf? You technically can’t even have a dog off leash at “dog beach,” which feels weird
Just one more dog run bro please they’ll be good this time I swear just one more dog run
I really don't like this idea. The rules are there, we just need to decide if we want the park to enforce them or not. Prospect Park already has baseball fields (works for me, my kids use them), 2 wedding venues, an official concert venue, multiple unofficial concert venues, an ice skating rink, many many playgrounds for people with little kids, an unofficial MTB course that'll get you beaten up for walking on it, at least 4 homeless encampments.... It's supposed to be an open, relaxing, somewhat wild area that people can ramble through. We shouldn't keep ceding chunks of it to special interest groups to the detriment of everyone else. And don't even get me started on the great-summer fence off when half the south side of the park is claimed for parties with vast swatches of open grass tied off with tape. There'll always be scofflaws but it really wouldn't take much effort to drastically reduce off-leash dogs in the park in the park staff cared to do it - whether the dogs' owners are unaware of the rules or exploiting the current lack of enforcement.
It doesn't really strike me as sensible to put Dog Beach next to a Ball Field either. How many Goldens have you seen take off after a overthrown baseball while the owner frantically screeches at it to get back here.
Agreed. Same with Central Park
unused wistful crowd dazzling knee thumb handle grandfather complete fanatical *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Well once your ass gets bit by a strangers dog you’ll quickly change your tune
deserted license combative deer smell aback bake voiceless judicious different *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
But off leash dogs are allowed before 9am so that makes it tough.
In specific places
You can also park on the st at specific times but people are able follow those rules
Are they? I see a lot of illegal parking all the time, so that’s not the best comparison.
Something something give an inch, take a foot..
The training standards need to be much higher for dog owners in the city. So many people feel like they can let their dog off leash when they get to the point they're confident it won't run away. The reality is, it should only be off leash when you are confident it will listen 100% of the time and only approach other dogs or people with your permission. Obviously, only in places where it's allowed. I do think most owners are generally good people and trying to do their best, just unfortunately don't even think of situations like yours. It's a bummer. The city should totally invest in some sort of creative marketing campaign - similar to the subway courtesy one (don't be a poll hog) they did years ago - on the maybe not-so-obvious ways to be more courteous with your pets.
Absolutely this. Plenty of owners just assume their dogs are untrainable or this is what they're like. A well-trained dog listens and obeys. They do it because they're positively reinforced and with good cues and treats. It's the same with driving. Plenty of people can't drive in NY. Yet they're in big murderous SUVs.
I actually had no idea -- because Central Park does have off-leash hours. I thought it was like that for all parks. TIL, nope.
Prospect park do have off leash hours. 9pm to 9am
And only in certain areas! The nethermead, the long meadow, and the peninsula meadow.
I’ll take the downvotes but I don’t think it’s that big of a deal unless you have a pitbull or similar agressive breed. It’s a giant park and the dogs should enjoy it too. This post sounds kind of hysterical.
"Aggressive breed"? You are dumb.
ok, aggressive dog, period. use your discretion and some common sense. don’t pretend to be dumb.
Honey I live in the projects with these so called "aggressive dogs" all around me. Not one single dog had been anything put a wiggly butted, happy tailed goof, even the ones that are abused by their shitbag owners. You clearly don't know anything about the breed's disposition, history or what good boys and girls they really are. You are **very** dumb.
There are off-leash hours, they can be off-leash then. Other dog owners whose dogs are reactive have the right to walk their dog during on-leash hours without some other dog with no recall whatsoever coming up to them. I can’t tell you how many times dog owners shout “it’s okay, mine’s friendly!” Well, mine isn’t, and it’s your dog coming up to mine, not the other way around. I didn’t ask for this. Get your dog out of my dog’s face.
if your dog is so reactive then why not just walk it on the street or somewhere you won’t encounter unleashed dogs? sounds like asking for trouble if you insist on bringing it into an area you know there are going to be plenty of unleashed dogs. also, off leash hours suck, a 9am - 9pm restriction for a park that size is a bit of a joke.
If it’s so hard for you to wake up early, why not just go to a dog park? And I like the park, that’s why. I’m not going to avoid it completely because sometimes there are selfish idiots who can’t train their dogs to come when called.
you guys just won’t give up huh? i guess you don’t have a job because you would know that waking up early enough to walk your dog 10 blocks to the nearest park isn’t a practical option. i bet you don’t own a dog either because you would know how incredibly limited your dog park options are in the city. you do realize though that there are countries in the world where wild dogs roam freely amongst citizens, right? you sound very privileged and need to accept that a lot of people in brooklyn have dogs and the world isn’t perfect. this is evident on the streets everywhere you go. get a grip pal.
Dude, you’re the one who calls someone who criticizes what you say jobless, a liar, and out of touch. Pretty blatant act of immaturity there. Those 19 downvotes ding your ego?
i would say it’s your ego that’s bruised here. it’s pretty evident that you have no job and no dog. like i said, there are dogs living in the streets of other countries that you haven’t visited. you’re not a dog person and that’s ok. let it go dude.
There is no such thing as an "aggressive" breed. Breeds that can do more damage than others? Absolutely. But by your logic Dobermans, Huskies, Pitbulls, Great Danes, German Sheperds etc should all be banned. All can do the same amount of damage. All that would be left is mini poodles (again, according to YOUR logic.) Dogs can be leashed AND enjoy the park. I have a 25 and 50 foot leash I used for my dog, for example. It allows her to roam while still having a safety feature for either another dog to flee or me to reel her in depending on who is starting the fight. Never had to use it, but I understand why it's a rule.
That would be fine if “enjoying” did not mean running up and trying to maul me. Not all dogs, sure, but enough that it’s annoying
“mauled” as in the dog ran up to you quickly and you felt uncomfortable? i get your point, i really do, but it just seems like everyone is a bit hysterical about this topic.
So the owner of the pit bull should just never go into the park?
they can go, just leash up if you have a large aggressive dog, it’s common sense. a lot of people have chill dogs that just wanna play fetch.
Right, and if that chill dog runs up randomly to the pit bull? That's the problem. Off leash dogs run up to dogs all the time. The owners always act like nothing bad will happen, but bad shit happens all the time.
then walk your pit bull on the sidewalk where you won’t encounter so many unleashed dogs, it’s common sense. or are you just looking for trouble? and no, bad shit doesn’t actually happen all the time, i’ve been taking my dog to prospect park for years and i promise you are highly exaggerating. a good solution would be to designate a much larger off-leash area in the park, similar to the way many beaches have an alcohol section where people can drink freely, and then highly enforce the rest of the beach where alcohol is not allowed. if you own a dog in brooklyn then you understand how insanely limited your options are when it comes to parks and places your dog can get some exercise. it’s a bit crazy that the rules of prospect park don’t allow off-leashed dogs from 9am - 9pm when it’s an absolutely massive park. of course people aren’t going to follow the rules.
> i’ve been taking my dog to prospect park for years and i promise you are highly exaggerating. This. OP is gonna struggle in NY at this rate.
Yeah I learned my lesson about letting people know about park rules. Last week some dude with a metal detector was using a shovel to dig huge holes by the Lincoln Rd entrance on the east side. My friend said to ignore it but it was just so egregious, he was digging large holes all over the place. You’re allowed to use metal detectors in the park on Saturday and Sunday but you must have a permit and you can’t use a shovel, only hand tools like a trowel. So I walked up and said “hey man you you can’t dig holes like that in the park” “oh yeah you think so?” “yeah, this is everyone’s park dude you can’t just dig up the lawn like this” “you know that? you sure about that? you know?” “yes, I’m sure… we can look it up—“ “okay let’s look it up, look it up f-ggot. yeah, you heard me f-ggot. “what are you even looking for with these holes?” “mind your business before I beat your f-ggot ass with this shovel” Judging him to be unhinged and having nothing to defend myself with against a shovel, I told him to fuck off and walked away. I considered calling 911 but that seemed like an overreaction. But fuck that piece of shit. I hate him getting away with it.
This guy digs holes and blames the dogs, he puts something in hole I suspect dogs are attracted to. I have seen him in Nethermead, woods, paths.
how do we get him gone
You're also not supposed to run red lights, or block the box, or make a right on red, or double park, or go over the speed limit or....so many other laws. That's just traffic laws and they don't get enforced. You think those same cops are going to be out there enforcing leash laws? Or metal detector laws? They have to go harrass protestors or fare evaders, ya know, stuff that really matters, real hardened criminals.
Yeah that dude is really mean and a huge pain. He also know the rules by heart and doesn’t break any while he’s being watched so we can’t do anything.
he absolutely was breaking rules. I had already looked them up and I checked again afterward. This was a Monday— strike one. He was using a two-handed shovel, not a single-handed trowel, strike two. He didn’t fill the holes back in, strike three. Fuck that guy. You’re telling me he does this often? White or Hispanic guy with dark facial hair, slightly bigger maybe 6’1-6’2 maybe a little heavyset. Was wearing a black hoodie/coat and jeans I think.
Oh yeah just when we show up he doesn’t do anything. We kinda have to see it to do something about it. Best advice is get a description and make a 311 complaint. Especially include any statements he might make that constitute a “bias” against a group of people. If he’s been harassing people that crosses a line into a more serious area.
I'll film from afar next time I see him, before I approach.
Well haha to be fair people who are 'gold finders' tend to be crazy assholes regardless of whether they are following the rules or not.
Of course they know. They live here. They know how owning a dog here works. What else are they gonna say, "yeah but I don't care because no one's going to stop me"?
Why would they know? A ton of parks in the country allow you to have dogs off leash. There's no PSAs about this. The sign is super small font and nobody looks at it.
Yeah I'm with you. My impression is that since covid, a lot of new dog owners have taken it to be the norm that off leash is not "allowed" in the same way that driving 5mph over the speed limit is not allowed. Or drinking wine in the park on a Sunday afternoon is not allowed.
Your dog must be on leash in NYC in public except in specified areas. If you own a dog it is your responsibility to know this information. Just like you are responsible for ensuring they are properly vaccinated. You are still in the wrong if you make a right on a red in NYC, even though it is legal almost everywhere else. It is your responsibility as a driver to understand this rule. Same deal.
This isn't a state park in Iowa, man. You don't get to be a dog owner here and not stumble across some of the most basic rules. If you tell me once a month you run into someone who doesn't know, fine maybe they're a fresh transplant or something. But the frequency is way higher than that
Again, they are not stumbling across these rules, because why would they? They go to the park maybe once every 2-3 weeks with their dog if I had to guess. They aren't reading the signs. Why would they know?
Why aren't they reading the signs? ANY of the signs, all over the city? Why are they taking their dogs to the park and specifically choosing to ignore the rules on what to do when you take your dog to the park? Why aren't they talking to other dog owners? Why aren't they talking to other *non* dog owners? Why aren't they observing that no one else is doing this? Why do you think they are in an isolated bubble while in a wildly popular park in a dense city? How do you think all of these people simultaneously live in a cave in the desert and also take their dogs to the biggest and most popular Brooklyn park multiple times a week? They are not recluses. They are people who live and exist and have dogs in and around Brooklyn. Are you just fucking with me?
> Why aren't they observing that no one else is doing this? Because they are observing the opposite, they look and see other dogs off leash and think its okay for them. Most people do not read park sign rules. I mean... who does? If they are just going in for 30 minutes for a little dog walk? Its a small sign nobody pays attention to.
> Its a small sign nobody pays attention to. They're all over every park, man. I truly don't understand why you're twisting yourself into such wild gymnastics to make excuses for them.
I agree, that sign is pretty pathetic. That said, I’ll tell you what I do when an off leash dog even looks like it’s coming at us. I’m always amazed that it works, but it does. In my biggest most commanding voice, I say Stop! And the dogs are either used to that command, or they are totally baffled by this perfect stranger commanding them. It gives their owner a chance to run up and get them, and it also tells my dogs that I’m in charge and they don’t have to be. Then I tell my dogs, Leave it (maybe a few times) and the other dog usually listens to that, too. One other thing. Your dog is sensing your anxiety, and they think they need to be anxious too. So, I know it’s hard, but try to keep your cool. I usually don’t even bother making eye contact with the owner, never mind saying anything. They can tell I’m pretty annoyed.
“Baffled by this perfect stranger commanding them” Am I misinterpreting this or…
Perhaps. Are you baffled?
Yeah I do that actually, albeit I say "NO" instead of stop. It works some of the time, but the problem is my dog starts barking at them usually before I even notice them. That makes the other dogs get reactive regardless of what I am yelling at them.
I get it. Try keeping your dog closer to you. I have to keep my cattle dog on a short enough leash that so I can be ready when she sees a bird, or a squirrel, or even a blowing leaf that she thinks she needs to chase or herd.
I have a golden retriever-cocker spaniel mix who was attacked by a neighbor’s dog several years ago. For a while time after it happened, he would bark at any dog that looked at him weird (even if both dogs were on leash) often causing a negative reaction from the other dog. It took a lot of dedicated effort, but eventually I trained him to trust me to protect him, and now he seems calm even when approached by off leash pets. I started by just putting myself between his eye line and the other dog and giving him high-value treats and went from there. Just sharing in case it’s helpful to hear a success story about a similar experience - I 100% agree that taking your dog off leash is irresponsible and dangerous for your own dog and others, and I’m sorry it’s affecting you so much.
Yeah the eye line thing and treat thing is what our trainer told us. I think it would be easier to train him if the other dogs didn't commonly instigate by barking back at my dog :/
There are huge signs like this at Ft Tilden and still people just ignore them and bring their dogs anyway. This one guy I saw was consciously evading the horseback police who were sending people with dogs home. Eventually the Nat Parks Police found him and arrested him. I was in Central Park at the Ramble one time and told this lady she couldn’t have her dog off leash. She was like “oh yeah I can”. She was standing inches from the no off leash dogs sign. And don’t get me started about all the people bringing their dogs on the subway. At this point with all of the schmucky owners and dog poop everywhere I have just come to dislike dogs period.
Word. I live near von King Park and the offleash dogs have just destroyed the biggest lawn. There's a dog run but these people just aren't satisfied with that, so they take the place where kids used to be able to play soccer, etc, knowing full well no sane parent will let their kids play in an area where now there's parasites and literal shit. I love dogs, but I loathe these owners.
Has it gotten worse or is it just me? Mentally in my head I call my neighborhood "Dog Shit City". When it snowed the other week I stepped in dog shit hidden under the snow twice in like 2 hours of being outside
i alwasys thought it was my imagination that no one picks up their dog poop when there is snow on the ground. Like maybe it was just the contrast between the white snow and the brown poop that made me think it was more prevalent. Dog owner friends confirmed it's not my imagination. And yeah, overall, MUCH more dog poop on sidewalks.
Huge uptick in dog ownership during the pandemic. Lots of bored, irresponsible people now have dogs who probably wouldn't have 5 years ago.
It’s a sign. It’s not going to stop these selfish and clueless assholes.
Oh trust me, they know. They just don't give a ...
I feel like people say this because they want to view them as purely assholes and write it off as that. I have brought this up to them a lot, they always do seem genuinely unaware of the laws. They don't seem like assholes at all, and they put their dogs on a leash the moment I say its illegal and there's a fine. Most parks in the country allow you to have your dog off leash, its not exactly confusing as to why they would presume its the case in brooklyn too. And why would they be aware? Most, in my experience, recently moved here, and usually don't go to the park often. They aren't gonna read that small little sign. The ones who do bring their dogs to the park everyday don't do it because if they did, they likely would have gotten a ticket by now (even if that only happens rarely, it will *eventually* happen) and wouldn't want to risk it.
I carry high frequency sound thingy and a tight rope so i can choke them out in case they bite my dog
Nope just assholes
I’ve been to prospect a handful of times with my dog and had no idea off-leash dogs weren’t allowed. Especially near the dog beach area. So many are running around free and I’ve never seen a sign. Cops in the area have commented on how cute she is while off leash (she’s tiny). The park is huge and it’s like a jungle, I really think people are oblivious.
That is an extremely charitable view but it does indicate that you are a kind person. I'm a bit more cynical and think these people have the "What? Me? Who? Mr. Kotter?" act down cold.
Well, you’re probably both right. I think people exist in both of those categories, so the signs would maybe help a percentage of the problem. For the inconsiderate ones, the only thing that would help is getting fined regularly.
A bunch of them I talked to for a while (I only talk to them when I have my nice dog lol) and I never got that vibe. Well sometimes I guess some might come off that way lol. Honestly I went into it thinking most would be standoffish or act entitled. There were a handful which were kind of like that, but most were just like "wait, what the fuck, really?" basically. Especially when you mention there's a fine. Again, almost universally, when I talked to these people, they don't commonly walk their dogs in the park. They might live quite a bit away and are doing a trip to the park. People who regularly walk their dogs in the park will have gotten in trouble with the cops for letting their dogs off leash eventually and (most likely) stopped.
This sub is exceptionally cynical, you’re yelling into the wind. I am really grateful for voices like yours that are willing to hear people out and understand that not everyone is some big bad asshole. Just want to let you know you’re very appreciated today.
It's just how people are in general. I work as a criminologist, and any attempt to combat the root of why crime happens is met with "but they are evil! they will never learn, they are monsters and THATS THAT!" They don't want to hear any cause-and-effect which might potentially humanize people that they despise. Even if its a potential solution that works, it infuriates them. Even something as simple as "child abuse increases the risk of adult criminality in the victim" is met with "why are we making excuses for criminals!?" Its the same kind of attitude here. People don't want to hear that most of these people just aren't aware of the rules. That's too easy, its giving them an 'excuse'. They want to hear that they are evil, careless monsters who will never change their ways.
You’ve had extremely good luck.
100% accurate statement. You could post a sign on every tree and bench and these types of dog owners still wouldnt change
Completely agree. I've had dogs run up to my kids who are sometimes about the same size. I shouldn't have to worry about my kids getting mauled by dogs in a public park when they're not in their stroller.
Well, to be fair, I feel the same way in reserve as we often have kids who aren’t being watched well by their parents run up to our dog in the park, even while she’s leashed. She’s gentle but still just worries me that people don’t seem to train their kids even on the basics of what to do around animals.
They are allowed between 9pm and 9am.
But the park is closed from 1am to 5am so I guess it’s the same difference
Yes that can be included in the sign of course. I am fine with them being off leash after 9pm.
Well, as long as *you’re* fine with it. Lol
Most people are fine with it lol. Kids are usually home by that point, it's dark. Most people left in the park are there to walk their dogs. Don't like it? Go to another park lol.
I am not fine with it in the sense that I would walk my dog there after 9pm. I am fine with it in the sense that I can plan around it.
This is not true. Even in the post the image shows off leash times are 9pm to 1am and 5am to 9am in specific areas of the park.
OP never said where the incident occurred. Putting up signs that say “no off leash dogs allowed” doesn’t make sense because there are clearly rules about allowing them.
If you own a dog it's your responsibility to know which parks allow off leash and when. Prospect park more than others does a great job advertising off leash hours. And if you haven't looked up those rules, given that we're in NY State and the state law is to leash your dog, your dog should be leashed.
Lol excuse me I’ll confuse all the people with their dogs off leash from 1am to 5am.
only in designated areas
it's a big issue at von king park. I can't even take my kid outside of the fenced playground.