If you own a dog, this meeting is one to pay attention to – there’s a public meeting on dog off-leash areas this Thursday, following up on the City’s Draft Master Plan for People, Dogs, and Parks Plan and taking public comment. This meeting is the last opportunity dog owners have to comment on and speak up on the future of dogs and parks.
The meeting is at 6:30pm at the Miller Playfield & Community Center (330 19th Ave E), and attendees are encouraged to arrive early. If you cannot attend in person, you can also email your comments and feedback to Rachel.Acosta@Seattle.gov.
Over $100,000 was spent on the Master Plan and thousands of dog owners who want more dog parks and beaches provided feedback via a survey. Despite the fact that there are roughly 150,000 dogs in Seattle, there are only 29 acres dedicated to off-leash areas. But, the Master Plan doesn’t add new off-leash areas. Instead it only increases the Parks department’s maintenance of OLAs and enforcement by animal control officers.
On Queen Anne, we have only one off-leash area at Lower Kinnear Park, and many dog owners have provided feedback to Citizens for Off Leash Areas (COLA) that it is too small and not convenient for all of Queen Anne. Per the Seattle Queen Anne Dogs (SQAD), there are 8,000 dogs on Queen Anne and Kinnear Park’s off-leash area is only 0.1 acre. For reference, the total acreage of all parks on Queen Anne is 40 acres.
COLA and SQAD urge dog park supporters to go to the public meeting on Thursday or email Rachel.Acosta@Seattle.gov. You can also go to the COLA website and click to send a letter to City Officials asking for more and better dog parks.
If you’re a dog owner and want more dog parks – or, better yet, a dog park on Queen Anne that can server the furry four-legged residents – the Master Plan is important. If it goes into effect as-is, it will mean a future of no new off-leash areas, possible increases in fines, and more enforcement.