The Oklahoma Daily (Norman, Okla.), Vol. 87, No. 155, Ed. 1 Wednesday, May 12, 2004 Page: 4 of 12
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www.oudaily.com • 325 3666
FEATURE
4 Wednesday, May 12, 2004 • Ite Oklahoma Daiu*
Park to offer dogs freedom
*
L5t
Reaves Park. She said the dog park is
I ‘
• Hr
- • » •
A new public dog park will
allow owners to have their
dogs off leashes.
when a person is bitten by a loose dog.
Gamer, technical writer at the OU
Health Sciences Center, said she has
been warned several times by the police
that she needs to have her dog on a
leash. Still, Gamer said she always makes
sure the dog is loose in a safe place.
NKHOUSSAKHAR1S
DA1.Y SWF WRITER
she would definitely take Daniel there.
Meanwhile, Daniel tugs furiously at the
Normonites offer solution
But there may be a solution to help
both sides, lor the last year, Norman
resident Betty Blatt has worked tirelessly
to create a place where dogs can run to
their hearts' content legally. She and her
friend, Norman resident Amy Guillory,
are working in conjunction with the city
to build an off-the-leash dog park at
Griffin Community Park at 12th Avenue
and Robinson Street. Blatt has three
dogs.
“It's for everyone with a dog." Blatt
said. “It's great for bringing the commu-
nity together. I’m hopeful it will happen
soon."
How soon it happens depends on
how much funding the city can raise,
Blatt said.
James Briggs, assistant park planner,
said the construction materials must be
donated and the labor must be done by
volunteers.
“It’s all coming from volunteer efforts.
ITie city is spending no money," Briggs
said. “There is no completion date.”
When the park is completed, it could
offer an alternative to people walking
their dogs without leashes.
off the leash they're not as possessive of
you so they get along with each other
better."
Dogs off leash legal in Norman
Every week, Norman police and ani-
mal control officers cite people with a
dog-at-large for walking their dog with-
out a leash.
(aty ordinance 3-103 states that a dog
is at large when it is off its owners prem-
ises and not restrained by a chain, cord,
harness, leash, rope or other device. City
ordinance 3-402 (A) states that anyone
who permits a dog to be at large will be
cited by the city and the dog can be
impounded, lire ordinance exempts
land that is zoned for agriculture, and
the fines for dog-at-large range from $50
for the first offense to $200 plus court
costs for multiple offenses.
Some dog lovers said they enjoy walk-
ing their dogs without a leash because it
allows more freedom for the animal. Al
the same time, the law is intended to
prevent dogs from getting into acci-
dents and fights.
Dangers of going leashless
Mike Stogsdill, superintendent at the
Norman Animal Shelter, 3428 Jenkins
Ave., said walking a dog without a leash
is not only illegal but potentially danger-
ous. Dogs can run into the street, attack
other animals or people, and run away.
uster runs freely through the
rSgrass without a care in the
-LJworld. The black and white bor-
der collie is having the time of his life in
the field nonh of Reaves Park at Jenkins
Avenue and Timberdell Road.
Meanwhile, fill Gamer, who is taking
care of Buster for a friend, w alks behind
him, keeping up. While this may seem
like innocent fun. Gamer is actually
breaking the law by walking Buster with-
out a leash.
cally people who just let their dog run,"
Gravley said. “Not necessarily with the
people who actually load their dogs up
in the car and go to a park and say,
‘We’re going to go for a walk, Fido.
Gravley said he advocates training all
dogs to obey commands.
V, > i a.% i
□ EASTFACTS______________
Norman pubk dog park
• The off-the-leash dog park will be fund-
ed by donations and built by wdunteers
• It will be located at Griffin Community
Park at 12lh Avenue Northeast and
Robinson Street.
• Donations can be sent Io: Norman Park
Foundation, PO Box 6523, Norman,
Olda., 73070
• E-mail Betty Blatt Io volunteer at blattsun-
shine@aol.com.
Source Betty Start, Normon levfent
"I know when (Jklahoma (Jty did |its|
park, I thought about taking her up
there, but 1 just don’t have time to drive
that far.” Kozlowski said. “I thought. ‘Why
don't we have one with the city the size
lofNormanj?’"
"I need a fenced place to train her."
Kozlowski said. “That’s what she doesn’t
have; She doesn’t have off-the-leash obe-
dience. The park would be gixxl for
socializing.”
Kozlow ski said if he brought Dixie to
the park he would take safety precau-
tions.
“I would put a muzzle on her just
because any owner with a dog that's
questionable would do that just as pro
tection,” Kozlowski said.
Many Norman residents have
expressed interest in the possibility of an
off-the-leash dog park for socializing and
training their dogs.
Gravley said he believes a dog park
that is enclosed is ideal.
“1 think for the trained dog and the
Park stfl under construction
The future canine paradise is current-
ly an overgrown field with fence posts
around it.
Briggs said OU donated the concrete
for the fence posts and OU students
donated the labor to install about two-
thirds of the posts during the Big Event.
The rest of the posts and the gate still
have to be built. The two-acre park will
include a water source for dogs to drink
from.
Blatt has toured some of the other
dog parks around the Oklahoma City
metropolitan area and has listened to
input from others in the community.
“We have all these ideas, but we just
need to get the fence put up,” Blatt said.
"It’s hard to get people together in the
summer."
Blatt said those who wish to donate
money to the park can send donations
to Norman Park foundation Inc., RO.
Box 6523, Norman, Okla., 73070. She
said anyone interested in donating time
to help build the park can e-mail her at
blattsunshine@aol.com.
Dog owners discuss pork, low
Norman resident Cry stal Kanzenhach
frequently takes Daniel, her one-year-
old Jack Russell terrier and (Chihuahua
mix, to Reaves Park. Daniel doesn’t get
to run around much anymore since
Kanzenhach moved to an apartment, so
when he goes to the park he has a blast,
dogs, like a dachshund for instance, they She said the dog park is a great idea and
can’t enjoy it off the leash in a park she would definitely take ITaniel there,
because some breeds of dogs are more Meanwhile, Daniel tugs furiously at the
violent and the social stereotypes of, ‘Oh, leash holding him back.
a dog off a leash is dangerous,’" Gravley
said. “You aren’t going to find a lot of
dachshunds that are biting people."
Gravley said when he walks his
a dog that's on a leash," Gravley said. “It's wouldn't allow Rocky to ntn without
fun to watch them play. They enjoy it,
and the person who owns it enjoys it,
and 1 think that’s a right every dog
owner should have.”
Gravley said sometimes animal con-
trol violations are unnecessary, depend-
ing on the situation. . w ____
"Where you run into problems is typi- because he does not like other dogs.”
She said her mother has smaller dogs
that would probably enjoy the park.
“My mom has small dogs, and I think
they should get to go free,” Hammett
said.
Hammett said she would love to see a
playground at the park with obstacles
“Many people who actually walk their similar to the one at Reaves Park, where
“They don’t realize the danger because dog have the dog well enough trained
they’ve had [the dog] a long time," that it can go without being on a leash
Stogsdill said. and be within a close proximity of the
Sometimes the dog will get aggressive owner,” Gravley said,
with another dog, and the owner won’t
be able to control the dog, Stogsdill said.
“When they are like that they won’t
respond to commands,” Stogsdill said.
"The owner can be held liable for any
damages caused by the animal.”
Jennifer Newell, community relations
officer for the Norman Police
MM MB- r
Wiota AbWbo by Soon SloNen Tho Do*.
Rocky, half Germon shepherd ond half boxer, pants in the heat while taking a break from running Sunday at Reeves Pork, Jenkins Avenue ond Timberdell Rood.
Department, said the police get involved should have a place where they can go
that’s public that’s large enough to still
play in, so a dog park like that is a won-
derful solution," Gravley said.
Gamer said the park would give dogs
a chance to socialize.
“The dog I used to have didn’t really
like other dogs, but I think that would
“I wouldn't walk my dogs places where have been a gixxl place to take her to get
they' could run into the street. 1 try' to find used to other dogs," Gamer said.
places away from the street,” Gamer said. "Usually the dog parks, you take a dog
Gamer agrees there is a danger to
walking dogs without a leash.
“I don’t think you ever have complete
control over a dog," Gamer said. “I think
there are times when dogs shouldn’t Ire
running around without a leash."
Ben Gravley, economics sophomore,
said he doesn't own a dog now but will
get one when he gets in the right living
situation. I le said he believes small dogs
should be able to run freely in parks as
long as the owners supervise them.
“It’s sad that people who have smaller
dogs are not allowed.
"It would be great to have a place
where dogs could climb stuff and run
with the kids and not necessarily have it
just for dogs," Hammett said. “Let the
kids and the dogs go together."
Norman resident Eric Kozlowski
walks his Boston terrier, Dixie, on the
OU campus all the time. He said a dog
park would finally give him a place
where he could train his dog in the open
owner who wants to enjoy the dog, they without a leash.
“It’s just a place for dogs to run
around in," Kanzenhach said.
Norman resident Melissa Hammett
runs with Rocky, her 12-year-old half
friends’ dogs he takes them off the leash, boxer and half German shepherd, at
“A dog in its own environment, off a Reaves Park. She said the dog park is a
leash, is a whole lot more enjoyable than great idea, but she said she probably
leash at the park because he is tix>
aggressive toward other dogs.
“He doesn’t get along with too many
other dogs,” Hammett said. "He likes to
fight. We would like to go to a park where
he could run free, but we have to make
sure there’s not many other dogs around
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Whitmore, Joshua P. The Oklahoma Daily (Norman, Okla.), Vol. 87, No. 155, Ed. 1 Wednesday, May 12, 2004, newspaper, May 12, 2004; Norman, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc1811580/m1/4/: accessed June 10, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center.