Poodles
Bernie and Fillmore practice their best behavior before
entering the gate at Upper Douglass Dog Park. They know
Dogtoberfest is just around the
corner. Photo by Pamela
Gerard
A brawl between a
pitbull/bullmastiff mix and a Doberman pinscher on the evening
of Aug. 29 at Douglass Dog Park cost the owner of the pit bull
the tip of her left ring finger, prompting Animal Care and
Control to schedule a hearing before the police department’s
vicious dog unit.
As might have been expected, the
incident caused a stir among visitors to the three-acre park
off 27th Street. It also uncovered a small bone of contention:
Has the neighborhood’s playground for off-leash dogs become
too crowded for sweet, law-abiding animals?
Most regulars seem to agree the
park is more heavily used these days, thanks to a $10,000 gate
that was installed last fall after two years of fundraising
and lobbying by Friends of Upper Douglass Dog Park (FUDDP). It
allows pups to roam free in the tree-lined park without fear
of straying into the street.
Richard Derus, a park regular
for eight years who sits on the nine-member FUDDP steering
committee, says in the beginning dog owners were excited about
the gated enclosure. Then reservations began to grow because
of its attraction to professional dog walkers and unruly dogs.
“For the most part, those turned
out to be unfounded fears,” said Derus. “There’s a slight
increase in dogs who wouldn’t come here [before the gate]
because they are flight hazards, and those tend to be less
disciplined.”
His 5-year-old American
Staffordshire
terrier mainly chases the ball,
and his biggest complaint is that sometimes it’s hard to find
an opening to throw it when the park is crowded midday during
prime dog-walking time. That inconvenience will not keep him
from the park though, he said.
Another frequent visitor, Steve
Noetzel, admits he’s noticed friction between dogs when the
park is crowded.
“If you have 40-odd dogs,
there’s an atmosphere that develops of rising tension between
the dogs,” said Noetzel as his 5-year-old black labrador mix
Glicka romped with canine friends.
Still, the park remains a
favorite spot for him and Glicka.
Too Close for Comfort
For others, however, the
crowding poses too big a problem to enjoy the park.
Debbie Symanovich used to bring
her 4-year-old black labrador, Henry, twice a day. Now she
will only go early in the morning.
“I’ve noticed there are a lot
more dogs at the park,” said Symanovich, who is very alert to
dog fights ever since Henry had to have six stitches following
a run-in with a pit bull at another park. “Suddenly, there’s
three or four dogs in pack formation and they get each other
on edge.”
At the same time, Symanovich
sees the utility of the gate.
“It’s a dilemma for the park,”
she said.
Some feel the presence of so
many dog walkers—and their multitude of dogs—can’t help but
raise hackles.
“Ninety-nine percent of the dog
walkers are responsible and clean up,” said Bob Evans, another
member of the FUDPP steering committee. “The problem is, if
they have too many dogs, they don’t see everything.”
When Jason Sharp began bringing
his labrador-mix puppy to the park three years ago, he found
the dog walkers to be a rich and friendly source of
information, giving him pointers as well as a chance to
socialize his dog.
“I thought it was great,” said
the Clipper Street resident.
But over time the park became
too popular and too crowded for his taste. He noticed
skirmishes at the gate’s narrow entrance, as dog walkers with
up to a dozen dogs clashed with others going out.
“Even my own dog, who is very
submissive, has gotten snappy at times,” he said.
Sharp uses Glen Canyon now,
though he remains fond of the community of people at Douglass.
Melissa Burnley, the president
of the FUDDP board, is a dog walker who has been bringing her
charges to the park for six years. In response to congestion
and conflict at the gate, FUDDP has posted signs reminding
people to keep the barking down and to give each person plenty
of space coming in and out, she said.
“It’s practicing gate
etiquette,” she said. The barking can disturb neighbors, too.
“It’s important that we’re courteous neighbors.”
Not Just a Park But a Family
The owners who frequent the park
are a tight-knit group, said Mark Lammers, clutching a
Chihuahua named Buddha under his arm.
“We have an organic community
that has developed,” he said.
Susan Kemper of Duncan Street
agreed.
“We watch each other’s dogs,”
she said. Moreover, the Douglass Dog Park community comes
together in positives ways, filling in holes and participating
in cleanup days.
“This park is a godsend, and the
people are wonderful,” she said as her 2-year-old golden
retriever, Ollie, ran across the field.
The sense of collective
responsibility extends to self-policing as well, said Rick
Carrington of Ord Street.
“People would not hesitate to
speak up and say, ‘You’ve got to get control of your dog,’”
said Carrington, watching over his 18-month-old German
short-hair pointer.
Leap for Dogtoberfest
The community will come together
for a park cleanup Saturday, Oct. 15, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
in preparation for its popular Dogtoberfest, which will happen
Oct. 22 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. this year. As usual, FUDDP will
invite a veterinarian to educate owners and dog shelters
to adopt out animals. Dogs can enter costume and agility
contests to win prizes for their owners, like gift
certificates to Noe Valley pet stores. This year’s event is
not a fundraiser, Evans points out.
Meanwhile, the group has much to
celebrate: it recently won a Community Opportunity Fund grant
to the tune of $100,000, said Evans. The money will go toward
sprinklers and new grass, he said.
“If we can get the sod and get
the sprinkler in, we could turn that park into a Garden of
Eden,” he said.
Ways to Prevent Harm
Officer John Denny of the San
Francisco Police Department’s Vicious and Dangerous Dog Unit
(VDDU) will be the presiding officer at a hearing Oct. 6 to
determine whether the pitbull/bullmastiff in an August dog
fight at Upper Douglass Park is a threat to humans. For this
reason, he said, he cannot comment specifically on the case,
which caused a dog owner to lose part of a finger.
However, Denny said he is
familiar with such incidents.
“There’s dustups at every dog
park every day,” he said. “A lot of times when dogs get into
fights, people will jump into the middle of it, and they will
get bit. Generally, the dog doesn’t have the intention of
biting the human.”
Denny said the best way to break
up a fight between two dogs is to have one owner grab one dog
and the other owner grab the other.
But the better scenario is to
avoid the fight altogether. Most people feel terrible when
their dog causes injury, he said.
“I’ll ask, ‘What can you do to
prevent this from happening again?’ Generally, people will
voluntarily take measures. You don’t want to leave it up to
the dog to do the right thing.”
Denny and dog park regulars
offered the following tips to keep dogs out of trouble:
¥ Train your dog (or have a
professional do it) to respond to voice commands.
¥ Use a leash.
¥ Use a muzzle.
¥ Use an electric collar that
administers a mild shock.
