Park Work Days

iwellbc | Coalition | Sunday, 22 February 2009

Since spring 2001, when the Morningside Dog Run site was a neglected and dangerous part of the park, Morningside BARC volunteers have done all of the work to build and maintain the site.

Morningside BARC still holds regular work days in the spring through fall to haul wood chips, repair fencing, install new features, clean up trash, and even sometimes have fun doing it.

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The Importance of Off-Leash Areas Like the Morningside Dog Run

iwellbc | Coalition | Thursday, 12 February 2009

Off-leash areas bring the surrounding community together and attract people from various neighborhoods to the park. Even people without dogs stop to watch dogs playing or ask to pet a friendly-looking animal. The Morningside Park dog run serves both Harlem and Morningside Heights as one of the few gathering places that bring together residents from both neighborhoods on a daily basis. These residents work together and resolve conflicts together.

Dog runs keep the surrounding areas of the park cleaner. Obviously when dogs are enclosed in a specific area, mess decreases. By developing a community of responsible dog-owning volunteers who regularly maintain the area of the dog run, the benefits multiply around the entire park.

Runs create an enclosed safe area for dogs and their owners. In addition to providing recreation for both humans and dogs, dog runs keep dogs safe from cars, and owners safe from tickets. Furthermore, a dog run keeps off-leash dogs away from people who fear dogs, causing less daily tension in a neighborhoods where a large proportion of the residents fear dogs.

The site of the Morningside Dog Run was overrun and underutilized. It was a site of criminal activity in the past; it is now occupied early in the morning and late at night by dog owners, reclaiming a central part of the park that had in the past been given over to drug use and crime.

Most importantly, DOGS MUST BE ADEQUATELY SOCIALIZED IN ORDER TO BE LESS AGGRESSIVE. It is a matter of public safety that dog populations NEED places to interact and exercise. This dog run was the first successful off-leash area in Harlem. One other, in Marcus Garvey Park, has recently opened.

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