10/05/2024
***TLDR;If your dog is sick (eg coughing, etc) DO NOT BRING THEM TO THE PARK, Please pick up your dogs’ p**p it can cause other dogs to get sick, IF you feel unsafe because of another person or dog please contact the authorities, it is ok to approach people to remind them of the park rules if they are violating them they are there for everyone’s protection.***
Hello, park friends!! A couple things that I have been asked to remind y’all of as we go forward toward the end of the year.
First, if your dog has been coughing, or sick in anyway, please do not bring them to the park. A lot of illnesses that dogs acquire are highly contagious, and a good amount of them are zoonotic (which means they can be passed from animals to humans). Recently my dog Loki was diagnosed with Kennel Cough, also known as Bordetella. He was vaccinated last month. He does not go to a daycare, or boarding, and the only time he is around other dogs is at the dog park. Kennel cough takes between 3-10 days to show signs and is passed in many ways. It will present itself as a dry cough that will sound like a goose honking. Last week there was a person who brought their dog into the park while there were 5-10 other dogs. Their dog started “honking” and then it vomited in the grass. Loki and some other dogs were in the area and went to inspect the new dog. When I heard the “honk” I immediately left the park with Loki. That was Tuesday night. Friday morning, he started his hacking. Friday night, he couldn’t go more than an hour without having a fit that lasted anywhere from 5-25 minutes. We started him on doxycycline, and by Saturday afternoon he had improved. But it will be a few days of this and quarantining him before we are close to normal again. Please, please, please keep your dogs at home if they are ill.
Second, this goes with the first point, the park district provides bags for us to pick up after our pets. Let’s use them. I know it can be frustrating, but it keeps the dogs safe again, I carry extra bags on me and when I see that a dog has p**ped, and their owner hasn’t acknowledged it, I have no problem approaching them to offer the bag and point it out to them. Our park has been shut down because of parvo in the past and the likelihood of it happening again is greater than you would think. These diseases can live in t he ground for months and are transferred mainly from p**p. Be responsible. I will point it out too you when it happens. It is not only common courtesy, but your responsibility as a pet owner. Not to mention it is one of the rules. Be better.
Lastly, I have been contacted many times regarding unruly behavior or violation of our park rules many times over the last month. There has been an incident with a gentleman kicking the fence from inside the small dog area to the big dog area making threatening statements regarding dogs barking. There was another incident when a family will bring a small child or toddler. Family time is great, but there is a reason one of the rules is no one under a certain age. Dogs are pack animals by nature and feed off our emotions. A happy child can become a fearful one instantly. That is a dangerous situation in a dog park. Regardless of how well you think you know yours, or other dogs, it can be come dangerous fast. There was also a large group of people who brought one dog to the small dog side. They were constantly going in and out of the park, and each time they would leave the gates open. I don’t believe I need to explain why that is not good.
All these instances could be avoided if people were responsible pet owners. If at anytime you feel unsafe with people at the park, or their dogs, do not hesitate to call the police. YOU don’t have to use the emergency number if you don’t want. The best, and safest, course of action is to let the authorities know.
Thank you for reading.
