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Community Corner

North Fork Canine Council Wants a New Dog Park

New organization wants to give man's best friend an option to play and exercise.

The North Fork Canine Council, a newly formed organization, has its sights on creating a new dog park for canine citizens and their resident owners in the Town of Southold. 

Dawn Bennett, co-owner of  in Cutchogue with Asha Gallacher and founder of the canine council, said that the existing dog park located behind the in Peconic is too small.

"The park in Peconic is nice but too small to accommodate many dogs," she said. "The space is inadequate to provide any real exercise." 

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Bennett said she was thinking that Strawberry Fields in Mattituck would be an ideal location for an alternative dog park, but any Town-owned land of 2- or 3- acres with trees and possibly a pond would work.

It is estimated that 45 percent of Long Island residents own at least one dog, which means there could be as many as 10,000 dogs on the North Fork during peak summer months. 

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The canine council's self-described mission is to "establish a fenced-in, 2- to 3- acre off-leash dog park where well-behaved canine citizens, residents and non residents can exercise in a clean and safe environment without endangering or annoying people, property or wildlife; to develop a beautiful, well-maintained space open to all dog lovers and friends who are willing to uphold the park's rules and restrictions; to view this park as a community project, in partnership with the Town of Southold, designed to satisfy the needs of dog owners and non-dog owners alike." 

The idea of a dog park is not a new one. The first park was created in 1979 and since then the number has grown to more than 1,100 in the U.S. and Canada. There are 14 existing dog parks on Long Island at this time and the benefits extend beyond just happy dogs.  

In a letter to , the canine council states that "statistics show that dog aggression is on the rise due to the lack of dog-to-dog socialization."

Dog parks provide socialization and exercise for dogs and their owners in a safe environment, promote responsible pet ownership, provide elderly and disabled owners with an accessible place to exercise their companions, enable dogs to legally run off-leash, promote  public health and safety, and serve as a tool for realistic enforcement of dog control laws.

The letter sent to Russell also detailed developmental plans. 

"North Fork Canine Council is willing to obtain a park plan design, help raise money for fences and benches and assist the Town of Southold to help the park run smoothly. To address the issue of expenses to maintain the park, residents would pay a yearly fee (one recommendation is $25) to use the park and receive a pooch pass. All residents would have to show proof of vaccinations." 

A great example of a current dog park operating on Long Island can be viewed at http://midislanddogpark.org/.

Anyone wishing to sign a petition for the dog park initiative or to volunteer their efforts can call North Fork School For Dogs at 631-734-8331 or visit the Facebook page for Town of Southold Dog Park.

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