I INTRODUCTION

II CREATING A DOG OWNERS GROUP

IV THE APPROVAL PROCESS

V CONCLUSION

I. INTRODUCTION

The question comes through to the info@nycdog.org desk all the time, in one version or another: "How do I start a dog park?" There are many different recipe lists and stories out there in the ether, several of them quite good. This analysis however, was developed specifically for, and originally published at, www.urbanhound.com. It is intended to be detailed to the New York City condition, though essentially all the points apply nearly anywhere in America.

The review is broken up into three sections, though please recognize that there is significant overlap between the sections. The main areas that need to be addressed are:

• Creating a dog owners group
• Planning the dog run
• The approval process

We'll start with creating a dog owners group, since everything else you do will be made easier, and more fun, if you do it with others! It's also, in many ways, the easiest part of the endeavor.

First, we need to define some terms. Off-leash recreation, what does it really mean? Simple, playing with your dog(s) without a leash attached, right? Right! Except, where are you allowed to do this? Several different designations have been applied to areas in which off-leash recreation is allowed. Often, these terms are used interchangeably. For the purposes of this article, however, we will define several terms here and now. A dog run is a fenced enclosure of any size. A dog park is an unfenced park in which off-leash recreation is allowed for some, or all, of the day throughout the park. An Off-Leash Area (OLA) can refer to either a dog run, a dog park, or a specific, unfenced area within a larger park.

Traditionally, in New York City, dog runs have been small, dirt surfaced enclosures. Over the years, some runs have upgraded to include wood chips or pea gravel, and occasionally a water source. With the advent of the 105th Street Dog Run in Riverside Park, dog run design in NYC has take a step to another level. While most current runs in NYC remain much too small, the overall design of the 105th Street Dog Run was developed by dog owners after exhaustive research nationwide as well as building on experiences locally and includes a central crushed granite play surface, drainage, a water source, benches, a double-gated entry, and a separate small dog area. With the advent of the new style of dog runs, and in keeping with a general movement nationally, we often eschew the term "dog run" given its historic connotation in NYC, and instead simply refer to off-leash areas. Nonetheless, we will continue to base this article on the creation of a properly designed and constructed fenced enclosure, referred to as a dog run, though we will often note considerations for establishing other types of OLAs.

The following two sections are broken up into a few components, though please recognize that there is significant overlap between them. We'll start with creating a dog owners group, since everything else you do will be made easier, and more fun, if you do it with others! It's also, in many ways, the easiest part of the endeavor.

1. Why Do You Want To Create A Dog Owners Group?

Nearly every dog run in New York City was established because of the actions of a group of people, even if there may commonly be a single dominant, motivating individual in many of these groups.

1. Since there is much work to be done, it is easier to have several hands, and brains, working on the task.
2. When the Powers That Be (PTB) are deciding to "give up land to dogs," it is reassuring to them to see an organization in place rather than an individual who may move on at any time.
3. Having a Board of Directors or a Steering Committee allows time for consideration of options, as in, "Well, of course I'll have to run this past my board before I can commit."
4. A Board reassures both your own constituents and the PTB that decisions and actions are based on deliberation and consensus rather than the whims of a single individual.
5. Once you have established a dog owners group, you are eligible to become a member of the New York Council of Dog Owner Groups, benefit from its multitude of resources, and help it in its goal to improve off-leash opportunities throughout the city.

2. How Do I Form A Dog Owners Group?

The overwhelming likelihood is that you currently own a dog and are walking that dog in the same general area regularly; similarly, so are a lot of other people you see over and over again.

1. One of the easiest ways to form a group is with a petition of some sort. Generally the simpler, the better. For example, "I support the creation of a dog run in Urbanhound Park." See sample petitions below.
2. Make sure you have space for names, addresses, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, and occupations/talents if possible. This process will give you a ready "membership", people you can legitimately claim to be representing.
3. The more "members" the better, because when the PTB decide in your favor to help you create a dog run, there will all but certainly be opposition to the plan, and it helps to have more people who want something done than those who want to prevent it.
4. The petition also provides you with people to hit up for donations at a later date, and a rapid way of contacting large numbers of constituents when you need their support at meetings.

Some dog owner groups have even gone so far as to establish themselves as freestanding corporations particularly for banking purposes, or 501c3 not-for-profit organizations. An advantage of not-for-profit status comes into play when soliciting donations and doing your banking, but the process does require a bit of paperwork and expense. Having a lawyer or accountant in your ranks can be helpful in making these decisions and getting the work done. The book, Getting Organized, by the Lawyers Alliance of New York, 99 Hudson Street, NY, NY 10013, is an invaluable source of explanations and information on this issue.

There are other ways around the donations and banking issues. The City Parks Foundation, or an already existent "Friends of Urbanhound Park" organization (such as the Riverside Park Fund in Riverside Park or Friends of Van Cortlandt Park in Van Cortlandt Park) may be willing to administer a bank account for a grassroots "park volunteer" group, for instance, but you do risk losing some of your ability to control your own funds. Regardless, don't let this particular aspect of the process bog you down. You can always change your status at a later date.

YES!

I SUPPORT FLORAL'S INITIATIVE FOR

THE CREATION OF A

WORLD CLASS DOG PARK IN SOUTHERN RIVERSIDE PARK!

For Extended Off-Leash Hours:

3. Is A Dog Run Right For You?

The process of forming a dog owners group will also tell you whether or not you actually have support for a dog run amongst your own constituents.

1. Five years ago, when FLORAL (Friends and Lovers Of Riverside Area Life, a dog owner and park advocacy group in southern Riverside Park) first got off the ground, dog owners in the southern end of Riverside Park did not want a dog run. We had 9 pm - 9 am off-leash hours at that time, and people wanted either an expansion of those hours or a 24 hour flagged, but un-fenced zone. Over the years, when more of the park became declared off-limits to dogs leashed or not, people revised this stance and a dog run became desirable to many of the dog owners in this area.
2. In Prospect Park, FIDO (Fellowship for the Interests of Dogs and their Owners, a dog owners group in Prospect Park), was successful in gaining an expansion to their off-leash hours (5 pm - 9 am in one field all year, and in many fields from November through March), and dog owners generally are not supportive of a dog run there at this time.
3. In Central Park, dog owners are also not eager to have a dog run, preferring their large open spaces (though they too would like designated areas where the off-leash hours are expanded).

In general, it seems to be the theme that dog runs are eagerly desired in smaller parks and areas where there is little park space (i.e., Greenwich Village). In these situations, there is even greater competition for space among park user groups and securing your "own" designated area may simplify matters for everyone. If in fact you determine that a dog run is not your goal, your petition can read, "I support the goal of an expansion to the off-leash hours in Urbanhound Park," or whatever type of plan you decide upon. (Don't worry, though, the remainder of this analysis can still be easily applied to any type of off-leash plan you choose).

Planning the run is often the most fun part of the process, and will help get you familiar with many of the requirements of managing a dog run as well. In some cases, you will already have an old decrepit dog run that you and your fellow dog owners simply want refurbished. This is a much easier process although you may still face much of the same opposition as those starting from scratch. For more information, skip to Section III, 7, The Dog Run Plan.

4. Finding A Place That Is Right For You

Okay, so let's assume you've decided that you and your constituents want a dog run. The first step here is to define a space. Sounds easy right?

1. Go to a nearby park, or beach, or any open space (even abandoned parking lots, warehouses, or factories will do), and say to yourself, "This would make a great dog run!"
2. SIZE is the one overriding criterion! Most of the literature suggests that dog parks should be at least an acre (43,560 square feet), and the bigger the better for both the dogs and for those maintaining the facility.
3. Admittedly, the size of the community you are trying to serve will affect the overall dimensions (ten dog owners will unlikely be granted a large space, whereas 1000 dog owners cannot be expected to cram into 1000 square feet!).
4. Once you've identified an ideal site, you should define several alternative spaces. There is a strong probability that your first choice will end up not being suitable (to others).
5. Create pro and con lists for the sites you pick and rank them so others can understand your choices.
6. While you're at it, identify the most out of the way places too, because these are the sites that those who don't want a dog park will try to put to you. This way you'll already have the "con" list for rebuttal.

In NYC, FLORAL has recently gained approval for what will be the largest dog playground in the 5 boroughs, and we only have a half an acre! While this is still woefully small, it is a step in the right direction toward showing how larger parks are more successful; hopefully this will increase the likelihood of even better parks being created in our city. The current largest dog run in NYC is Tompkins Square Park's First Run at ~ 17,000 square feet (yes, as its name suggest, it was the first run in the City). Runs around the city generally range from 5-12,000 square feet, which translates to an average of about 3% of a given park's total area (except in Riverside Park's case, where the three existing dog runs combined still total less than 0.3% of the total park space!)

5. So Size Does Matter, But What Else?

A few more important items you want to consider, in addition to size, when picking sites and creating pro and con lists are access, water, shade, and drainage.

1. Access: For those of you in the outer boroughs, parking may be an issue. After-dark safety is also to be considered with street views and lighting important contributing factors.
2. Water: Most city parks have reasonably good water supply and distribution, but you certainly want to make sure your site is not far from an accessible source. Ideally, a water hook-up should be incorporated within the run's bounds, especially for amenities within the facility (i.e. drinking fountains, wading pools) as well as for maintenance, cleaning, and sanitation.
3. Drainage: Drainage can be installed under any dog run, and is strongly advised at all times, but it can be expensive. A slight slope in the natural topography can be of great benefit compared to a flat area that may regularly flood or stay damp. Too much of a slope on the other hand can be problematic from an erosion standpoint, but can frequently be compensated with creative landscaping.
4. Shade: Again, a balance needs striking. You do want some shade available for those hot days. Too many trees however can take up too much space from your overall play area, and too much shade can result in a chronically damp, odiferous facility.

6. Whose Land Is It Anyway?

Ownership (public vs. private) of the site will affect the order of your progress. Even if the site is privately owned you will all but certainly still require public and governmental review and approval to create such a facility

1. If the site is privately owned, obviously you will need the owner's permission. This would be worth pursuing prior to engaging in any of the public review processes since if the owner refuses, the point is moot. If the owner is agreeable, then several of the following issues will still come into play.
2. Most likely you will end up on public property and the full scope of bureaucratic and political legwork will be in your future. The further likelihood is that you will be looking at sites that come under the jurisdiction of the City of New York/Parks & Recreation (DPR), which will remain the presumed course of action for this review.
3. It is also possible that the property you've chosen falls under the jurisdiction of another agency of the city (for example, West Village DOG had a dog run on land under the control of the Department of Sanitation (DOS)).

It will commonly be obvious who "owns" - or at least speaks for - the particular property, but if this happens to not be true in your case, your Community Board (see below) will likely be able to help direct you in finding out who does own the site.

7. The Dog Run Plan

Draw up a simple plan of the dog run. If you have identified any architects or artists in your ranks, this will be much easier. Pay a visit to some of the successful runs around the city to gain a sense of what is possible (the newly renovated 105th Street Dog Run in Riverside Park and James' Dog Run in Madison Square Park in Manhattan, are excellent examples).

1. You needn't come up with thorough plans or drawings, just a plan of the site within its surrounding area and the basic components.
2. The basics should include: fence line, water location, small dog area (many runs now incorporate this concept, or a second site can be used), benches, trees (with "tree benches" encircling them to protect the trees), and gates (two entries are highly recommended, and they should be "double gated" with a vestibule so that dogs don't run out when a single gate is open).
3. Surface: just a few words here. Many surfaces have been tried, each with their pros and cons, supporters and detractors. Some of the most common surfaces in the past have been wood chips and pea gravel. Many complain that wood chips absorb (and re-release) odor too readily and are attractive to fleas and bugs, while others note that pea gravel bothers their dogs' paws. Crushed granite has come to the forefront as a durable, well draining surface that avoids both of these problems.

Grass, you ask? Many dog run proponents will warn against grass as it is too fragile to stand up to daily, constant wear. However, it is my personal observation that the critical issues are space and design. Certainly I would agree that in a small dog run supporting a large population grass will not last. Nonetheless, in an appropriately sized space, with grassy areas located peripheral to the main, central running area, grass should be sustainable with active maintenance. A successful example of a grass surface is in the Bronx at Canine Court, NYC's first dog agility area in Van Cortlandt Park. Furthermore, a large enough space will allow small grassy areas to be closed down periodically, temporarily "rested" for rejuvenation.

8. Preparing A Budget And Raising Funds

Fundraising can be an ongoing project from the first day you start your organization. Funds come from many sources, and likely you will need to obtain sums from each.

1. Your elected officials may have discretionary funds they can allocate. This can serve very well as seed money to get others interested, and believing, in the viability of the project.
2. The DPR often puts partial funding to the construction of dog runs (though not to the maintenance - they count on dog owners for that).
3. Your membership, local merchants (especially pet related businesses), and larger pet related corporations should also be pursued as viable sources for funding.
4. Dog runs can be "created" for no greater expense than cheap fencing around existing pavement, grass, or dirt, but this will not likely satisfy you, your constituents, or anyone else concerned about aesthetics and sanitation for very long. And this will likely increase your maintenance costs.
5. With basic drainage considerations, surfacing, a decent fence and gates, a few benches, and a water hook-up, expect to spend at least $50,000 - $75,000 (of course, the size of your run will effect the price to some degree, as well as whether you are working with City employees on City property or with private contractors on privately owned land).

Once the project has been accepted by the DPR, they will work with you on developing an accurate budget and construction plan. If you are doing this on your own, with another agency, or on private land, you will need to do much of this yourself, likely with the help of a licensed landscape architect. Fortunately, the resources are generally easy to come by, and in fact can be gathered from existing DPR and NYCDOG sources since they have the most experience with actually building dog runs. Don't forget to develop a maintenance budget as well (garbage bags, poop bags, periodic surface restoration, sanitation treatments, etc.)

9. The Proposal

As an organizing tool, draft a written proposal. Initially, this could be an outline or a brief description, but ultimately a broader formal proposal should be prepared. A well-prepared document will duly impress and can go a long way toward gaining support from critical individuals involved in the process.

1. The proposal should cover the benefits of a designated off-leash area (i.e., a dog run), why it should be supported by the community, and how it will be maintained (who will be responsible for what); including a sample set of "Dog Run Rules" will show management forethought.
2. Other points to incorporate are why your particular site has been selected and concise descriptions of the pros and cons of other potential choices.
3. A schematic of the dog run as prepared above, along with rough budget expectations and a brief review of funding plans should be included.

• Off-leash areas protect the rights of community members and other park users by preventing off-leash dogs from infringing on their activities.

• Adequate off-leash play and exercise, as can be obtained in designated off-leash areas, makes dogs better neighbors who are less likely to bark incessantly or jump on people.

• Off-leash areas bring people together, create a greater sense of community, and provide a forum for dog owners to share information that can help foster more responsible pet ownership, thereby making dog owners better neighbors, too.

• Encouraging dog owners (and their dogs) to enjoy the parks, as off-leash areas do, helps deter crime in these areas.