Enforce the leash law!

To:  NYC Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe

According to official statements posted on the NYC Parks Department website, The City of New York enforces the leash law for several reasons.

"First, unleashed dogs pose potential danger to people and to other dogs. Many park users, horses, park wildlife and leashed dogs have been attacked and bitten by unleashed dogs.

Second, many park visitors are frightened by dogs and may find unleashed dogs to be intimidating or annoying.

Third, unleashed dogs are more likely to leave behind waste that is not picked up by their owners; canine waste is a known source of several pernicious zoonotic diseases.

Finally, unleashed dogs destroy lawns and flower beds: areas used as informal 'dog runs' have been severely damaged by the combination of wear and uric acid, a known killer of plant life."

As Parks Commissioner, you have been entrusted with enforcing the Public Health Code, yet are promoting an unwritten 'policy' of allowing pet owners to let their dogs off of their leashes between the hours of 9pm to 9am. A dog is just as likely to attack at 8:50am as it is at 9:10am, therefore these off-leash hours conflict with basic common sense and unnecessarily endanger park users.

We respectfully ask that you refrain from encouraging dog owners to break the law in order to protect the health and safety of city residents and visitors.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The Enforce the leash law! Petition to NYC Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe was created by Juniper Park Civic Association and written by Juniper Civic (info@junipercivic.com).  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.

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