Dog Run For Oakland Update November 2009 2

Dog Run For Oakland Update November 2009 by Ryan Robinson

Lots has changed since the previous update and the idea and the progression of a dog run looks better and better. Over the past two months, the town has thought about, had a conference about, asked the public about, and will soon be buying Pleasureland (Heritage Hills) with grant money from Green Acres and about 1 million in grant money. This is the time to act. I have sent emails to council members asking about the project and how it is going. They have said that as of right now, they are doing a study to see the environmental impacts that the property has.

However, I did get an email from Mr. Steve Wagoner of Oakland’s Recreation Commissioner. He had very good news. A dog run can possibly be part of the recreation plan for the area. He says, “Several weeks ago I reached out to the Oakland Board of Health for some statistics, and found out that there were 26 dog bites reported in 2008 and 21 so far this year. In my research, like yours, I learned that dogs that regularly play with other dogs tend to be less aggressive and friendlier to humans, obviously a good thing.”

I am very glad Mr. Wagoner has done his research because this project could be a big endeavor and we don’t want anyone wasting the money on a project that really is not needed. He says that there are many other issues to consider such as maintenance of the property and more research that needs to be done. I encourage others to contact Mr. Wagoner to show your support and express your opinion.

I looked through my petition, which was stopped about in about June-July, and here is what I found. Out of 705 people that signed it in 2 months, 433 people from Oakland signed it. That’s more than half! The other signatures were mainly from other towns such as Mahwah, Franklin Lakes, Wyckoff, Ramsey and Midland Park. If we were to build a dog run, look at how many people could come to our town to use it and in turn support local business. I am hoping to go to at least one of the Recreation Commission’s meetings to help out and see the progress. Here are a few parts of the email I sent to Mr. Wagoner.

ALSO PLEASE SEND IDEAS AND OPINIONS TO dogrun4oakland@yahoo.com

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“I was thinking if a dog park was to built in Oakland, it would be a tad smaller than the one in Ridgewood if you have an idea of the size. I also think that we can get the whole community involved in the project and set it up so the town does not have to do very much to maintain it. For paying for some construction, I can always try and raise money for the project as I have found several people who would love to give money and help. One of the owners of JB Pet Supply had come up to me saying he loves the idea and would love to help in any way. For taking down trees on the dog park, we could ask a local company to take it down. For the woodchips, we can reuse the trees we cut down to save money. For a fence, get a local fence company. For #2 pick up, I’m sure the Shoprite could give plastic bags. For toys, I’m sure JB could give some.

We can ask all of these businesses to do it for free or at a reduced rate. Then, we can get the Boy Scouts involved. They could make some benches and maybe a sponsor sign to thank those who donated supplies or labor. A dog park would bring people to the town and help local business. All the town would really have to do, is make sure that the park is maintained. A dog park is very low maintenance. For woodchips in following years, I’m sure a local landscape company could donate some and we could put their name on the board.

Now, regarding the Health issue, this is an interesting point. If we were to build one, we could be like Ridgewood and allow anyone in and anyone out. However, a sick dog could come in, infect others, and spread something around. I like what Pequannock does in that before your dog goes in, you must show the town your dog’s health records. Then, your dog would get a little tag saying it’s okay for them to go in. They would need to update the medical every year or 2 years. That’s thinking smart in a dog park.”