More than 4,700 comments were received on the plan to restrict off leash dogs in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
If you are in for some MORE light reading, the comments from the public about proposed changes to the dog management program for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) have been compiled into one tidy document. We published some of the comments a few days ago, but here are some more.
“Let’s face it, dogs need space to run uninhibited. How has civilization gotten this far w/o so many rules + regulations? (Really, we need fewer laws and not more.) I’m all for coastal preservation, but I also see rising sea level + natural erosion as greater threats to wildlife + the environment than peoples’ dogs. One rep at this event told me that a dog’s digging had contributed to a bunker’s concrete fail. Really? A dog broke a bunker? I think the GGNRA should focus more on crime, trash + pollution in these areas – and less on trying to control people’s lovable pets.”
“I don’t envy what your trying to do. You can’t please everyone but hopefully your decisions will allow pet owners to still have access to these beautiful areas. And in the process pet owners gain a greater respect for these areas
and abide by the rules a little better.”
-”NO AREAS CAN BE PROTECTED IF DOGS ARE OFF-LEASH! It is a no-brainer to prevent destruction (euphemistically called ‘negative impact’) in ALL park areas; our sensitive wildlife and their habitat must not be sacrificed and lost to irresponsible dog owners whose pets run rough-shod over the land and our native and beleaguered wildlife.
Thank you for helping to create a better park experience at Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and for giving imperiled species a chance to survive.”
“A leash rule may be an easy answer but it is far from fair or right. The nature of the experience with the dogs off-leash – in which we are letting the dogs socialize, run, play, etc. – fosters a type of camaraderie that is increasingly rare in today’s society, and it would be a great loss to our community were it to become unavailable. A small minority of owners may not be as responsible as they need to be, but to deny all dogs the opportunity to run free is unconscionable.”
“Please make sure that all threatened species, especially ground-nesting birds, are protected in the final version of the plan–and don’t listen to selfish dog-owners who have forgotten that they and their pets need to share the parks with a lot of other species. Thank you.”
“We dog owners should no longer be made to feel like criminals in our own community, simply for trying to maximize the health, happiness and longevity of our family pets through exercise and socialization. Public parks belong to all of us, and all users should be able to share the benefits of these open spaces in a mutually respectful manner. Dog owners are taxpayers too. As a responsible dog owner myself, I value the time I spend with other dog owners, and enjoy
that sense of community. A leash rule may be an easy answer but it is far from fair or right.”
