The author of this post wished to remain anonymous.
Hoards of people have been congregating with their dogs on the two lawns only a few steps north and west of the Bull Moose Dog Run adjacent to the Museum of Natural History. And they are quickly destroying the beautiful (and locked) lawns.
Speaking to a woman who works for the parks department and cares for the lawns surrounding the museum this morning, she said they are unlikely to plant the tulips again this year because of the destruction being done by the dogs and their owners to the lawn. The city spent over half a million dollars in renovations, and now entitled Upper West Side dog owners (that are making us all look bad) complain that the new gravel in the dog run hurts their dogs’ feet. So instead of walking another half a block to Central Park – they are taking over lawns that are clearly marked “no pets” and are often locked to preserve the grass.
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It’s embarrassing to see such entitlement, with a perfectly good dog park a mere few feet away. If you see them, please gently suggest they go elsewhere. Tell them to walk the 10 yards to the newly renovated dog run or to Central Park. Parks department, please ticket them.
In reading previous posts on this topic, others suggest that these lawns should be open to the people. As a dog owner myself, it still seems like a lawn adjacent to a dog park should be strictly dog free. If you feel strongly about changing the gravel in the park – then sign the petition that’s going around. But in the meantime, refrain from using adjacent lawns for your dog and respect the park’s postings. These bad actors are costing the Upper West Side a beautiful Spring full of tulips, joy and hope.
Now, I don’t have a dog – and if I did, I wouldn’t let them loose on the lawns of the Museum. But from my understanding, the gravel flooring they added to the renovated dog run at the museum is actually a huge problem. Dogs are coming home with bloody, blistery paws and irritated or infected eyes. This isn’t a question of entitlement, it’s one of dog safety – this is an unusable dog run now, and that petition has been circulating for 4 months with no results. I also know that for the majority of daylight hours (9am – 9pm), Central Park requires dogs to be leashed in every single area of the park, and there are no closed dog runs at all in Central Park. So while I like “tulips, joy, and hope” as much a the next person, I’m surprised that this author is a dog owner themselves and didn’t think to do a bit more research before sending this rant in for publication.
Thanks for the response! I’ve lived the drama of the dog run renovation, so in addition to researching previous posts on the issue, I’ve lived it firsthand. I note the safety concerns that dog owners have, and link to the petition that you cite. I also have brought my dog to that run twice a day for three months and have had no issues with her paws or eyes. You note the off leash constraints of Central Park times, but there are other dog runs that could be used – 72nd and Riverside as well as 87th and Riverside. Dog owners can also just take their dog on a good old fashioned walk – no dog run required. The issues with the entitlement is that as a community, we need to abide by the posted rules of our parks.
The dog run at 72nd and Riverside is closed for renovation. Dogs are definitely getting blisters and bloody paws from the pebbles in the dog run next to the museum. The small stones fly up as larger dogs run in the dog run and are definitely a danger to smaller dogs nearby.
There are 2 dog runs near 72nd & Riverside. One is closed but the other is still open – I was there this morning.
Your dog not experiencing issues does not mean it doesn’t exist!! If yours did, I’m sure you wouldn’t like it.
If your dog is getting blisters don’t blame the dog run. Blame yourself. Buy booties for your dog: several pairs, and sanitize them after each use. Take your dog to the vet and get anti fecal – anti fungal – anti bacterial medication. Take accountability yourself for spreading raw dog sewage that is unsanitary and gets on our shoes, baby strollers, and spreads to classrooms and homes. What you’re complaining about on behalf of your dog is what everyone here is agreeing that dog owners are doing: dumping sewage everywhere they go with entitlement behavior, allowing their ditto urinate on sidewalks, on trees, on our flower beds, against our buildings…It’s time to publicly ban all dog urinating and defecating in NYC. Install a dog stall in your apartment and shovel it into a trash bag daily. Diaper your dog as incontinent adults manage themselves. There are 800,000 dogs, nearly three times the human population of Pittsburgh that defecate and urinate amidst our urban population of 8.6 million Nee Yorkers. It’s unsanitary, it’s a violation of Health Code 161.03, it’s selfish, and it’s disgusting. You can’t blame the city for the diseased condition of your dog’s paws. I’d you let your dog dump open sewage all over the city, then walk in it, without booties, then walk around your apartment without sanitizing your dog’s paws, you probably have the same fungus and bacteria and fecal matter all over your bed, carpet, hair and skin. Contain your dog sewerage. Diaper it. Buy booties for your dog.
The sheer entitlement of your opinion alone. You are legit demeaning people for owning dogs. Your entire post is a perfect example of why this neighborhood has gotten a bad rap. All the things in this world and you’re mad about dogs. Grow up. Seriously. If you don’t like being around people and pets, who should both have the right to enjoy our fine city, you should go move somewhere that you can avoid it. Just be a better person. Seriously. I clean up my street. I
Clean up the well of my building. I don’t complain to others and neither does my dog. Actually, if you’d like I can have my dog teach you a seminar in humility and humanity. Something your lack of empathy could learn a lot from. If even one person complains about their dogs being injured by a faulty run dog run, and let’s be honest, this city is failing at everything miserably, then the entire idea behind the run is invalid and pointless. You’re inability to have empathy for dog owners who have in some cases only had their animals for the last 8 months is a real sign of who you are and where you’d tend as a person. Get lost and go be better. You have it in you.
Speaks volumes when people with such polarizing beliefs post things anonymously. Maybe if you got a dog you would find happiness rather than being a bitter internet troll.
I take my dog to the newly renovated Bull Run park regularly. She loves it and has had no problems with her paws or eyes and runs there with abandon. I love that the gravel drains well -no muddy puddles like other runs, so much cleaner. Please do not change the gravel! Plenty of other dog runs for those who dislike it.
I for one and glad this article has been posted. Dog owners – keep you dogs to dog areas! Sincerely -Chicken bones
The dog runs in NYC are an absolute joke and are nothing but rocky mud pits. I can’t take my dog any more because he comes home bleeding from his foot pads every single time. I’ve lived in plenty of other places that are able to have dog runs with grass so I’m not sure why New York can’t figure it out.
My dog won’t run on the gravel in the dog run in Roosevelt Park, it hurts her paws too much.
I am so tired of issues arising from city mismanagement being twisted into accusations of entitlement. This is a purely practical issue. The Parks Department, which should surely know better, installed a kind of gravel in the dog run that cuts and blisters the animals’ feet. If they would remove the injurious material and replace it with the finely crushed soft rock that is successfully in use at other dog runs the owners would instantly and gratefully return to the official run. Until that happens they will continue to seek safe alternative space for their dogs to exercise and socialize. (Note: I do not frequent that run, so can honestly say that I ‘don’t have a dog in this fight.’)
agreed
I live nearby and am saddened by the destruction being wrought by dogs on what for years has been a beautiful oasis of green peace in a busy city. The dogs run and play with one another, tearing up the grass as they cavort, and also have dug many holes in the earth. There are many sections that are now nothing but brown dirt. It’s a shame that a few dog owners believe that they have the right to ignore the rules and destroy something meant for everyone’s enjoyment.
I love dogs, but I don’t think that the dogs should be off-leash in the green area outside the dog run. Let actual people sit there without having to worry about dog poop, etc. If the dog run isn’t working, that is no reason to muck up the green areas for everyone else.
Dog owners need to obey Health Code 161.03 which prohibits dogs from urinating on sidewalks and against buildings. Although police do not issue OATH Summons for these offenses many neighbors have brought the matter to city council. According to the health code dog owners are prohibited from allowing pets from “creating a nuisance” – urine – feces – on a sidewalk in any city with a population of 200,000 people or more. Here in NYC we have 800,000 plus dogs, nearly three times the population of Pittsburgh, urinating amidst a population of 8.6 million people. In Japan, dog owners train their dogs to “go” on a hospital pad, and put it in a public trash can. Leaving stinking yellow puddles on our sidewalks, and allowing your dog to urinate against buildings and trees demonstrates total disrespect for your neighbors. It stinks. It stains our buildings, and it’s disgusting. Per law, curb your dog in the street and preferably by the sewer. NYC has a multi million dollar sewer system. Train your your dog to go in the street and carry water to flush it down the sewer. Stop using our homes, restaurants, schools, and parks, trees and sidewalks as your dog toilet. Take your dog to a dog run, and if you don’t like the mess on your dog’s feet, but dog booties, diaper it, train it to go in your apartment, curb your dog, or don’t own one, but show some compassion and moral decency and humanity toward your neighbors. Your dog does not have the right to pee on the sidewalk. Health Code 161.03
Thank you for your response. I cannot understand how dog owners just stand there while their dogs urinate or have a bm right in the middle of the sidewalk. If you say something to them they respond with “I’m going to pick it up.” And wave their plastic bag at you. It is still unsanitary and an eye sore!
You know what’s really disgusting? The dirt and stains that accumulates on sidewalks from day after day of garbage pile ups. That’s not created by dogs but by restaurants and resident buildings. Dog owners should be fined if they don’t pick up their dog’s poop but c’mon, get real about dog’s peeing. The real problem on sidewalk stains is not derived from dogs. There should be a law that requires sidewalks to be washed by buildings and restaurants who are the ones leaving disgusting stains of garbage all over the UWS. As far as dog runs is concerned, the couple of dog runs in the area are inadequate. I’m not saying let the dogs destroy the museum’s lawn but there are too many restrictions in Central Park (and in the city in general) and dogs need to go somewhere so that’s when people start making their own calls. By the way, I take my dog to Central Park and there appears to be the same type of problems there too. Solution: give more areas to dogs and enforce / create cleaning rules regarding dirty sidewalks from buildings, restaurants, businesses and unclean dog poopers..
To my knowledge residential buildings and restaurants pay for the removal of garbage, either directly to private haulers or via taxes to the Sanitation Department. Dog owners, in contrast, get a free ride despite their causing immense damage to the built and natural environment. We have a big garden in front of our building and I see people walking their dogs next to it daily, letting them urinate on the boxwood and flowering plants, which then yellow and die. We spend thousands per year on this and it generates pleasure and pride not only for our building but for neighbors and passers-by. Start taxing dog owners who use NYC public spaces as dog toilets.
The gravel at Bull Moose dog run is THE WORST– the stones are large and roundish and the material never compresses, it’s like walking on a bed of marbles. What doofus chose it? My dog minces over to the small concrete islands under the benches, strenuously avoiding the gravel.
I guarantee you that whoever chose the material doesn’t have a dog. And if course, it would be too difficult to interview a hundred dog owners to ASK what materials dogs like to run on.
How about replacing it with that rubbery playground stuff? Stays clean, dogs can get traction when they play.
you are 100% correct
Your dog won’t die if it doesn’t get it’s off-leash playtime. I have a dog and would never be so self-centered and, yes, entitled to let my dog loose in a place that wasn’t so designated. Why do dog owners think they are owed dog parks in the first place? I think this letter and other pleas for dog owners to be considerate of others will be dismissed and ignored. Piggy dog owners make life in the city a bit more unpleasant than it should ever be.
What all this about uws entitlement and doing what ever you want? Where are all the spineless complainers? Out these transgressors! Shame them! Ruin their careers. It’s what we do now.
Maybe a dense urban environment isn’t ideal for a dog anyway! If you want a dog that needs a lot of physical exercise, move to the country.
Close it . People were going to Central Park anyway .
Let the dogs use the street, between parked cars and clean up after them. I for one don’t want Central Park to become a giant dog park. Your dog’s waste smells and eventually areas become saturated with it. Use the street (not the sidewalks) and when you clean up promptly there will be no smelly grass and park areas. Disgusting.
Parks are for everyone. If you don’t want to see dogs, then don’t go there.