Kudos to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board for its common-sense decision not to proceed with a pilot program to allow off-leash dogs in Fanto and Jenkins Ranch parks. There is no need for such a program and good reasons not to do it.
The city already has a great Dog Park. It is large, contained and does not directly border any streets. It is also strictly voluntary; no one needs to go there if they do not want to be around dogs running free.
And for all those reasons, it is safe, for dogs and people. Dogs cannot run into a street, and children cannot chase them into traffic. People who are, for one reason or another, uncomfortable around loose dogs can simply not go there.
None of those advantages apply to Fanto or Jenkins Ranch parks. Fanto is bounded on three sides by streets and on the fourth by Park Elementary School. Off-leash dogs would be sharing space with unfamiliar young children, cars and at least some adults who would rather they be tethered.
Jenkins Ranch Park has Jenkins Ranch Road running its entire length. Those using its tennis courts or the adjacent sidewalk may or may not appreciate dogs around them.
That the existing Dog Park is deservedly popular does not argue for allowing loose dogs in other parks. Not only does the Dog Park have unique circumstances, it is neither overcrowded nor overused. And in any case, the underlying thinking behind allowing off-leash dogs in other areas is flawed.
It is human nature – and quintessentially American – to think that if one of something is good, two must be better and a dozen even more so. But while that may be valid if the subject is dollars or years of good health, it is also the basis for all sorts of bad outcomes, from obesity, greed and conspicuous consumption to public-policy decisions.
Durango’s Dog Park is a wonderful amenity, one that offers its users an opportunity to enjoy their pets in an attractive riverside setting. Moreover, it neither imposes on anyone nor costs the city a lot to operate.
But that experience does not need to be replicated all around town, especially where it would be a poor fit. In not going forward with the pilot program, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board got it right.
