TCDOG in the News

Letter to the editor published in The Ithaca Journal Feb. 23, 2005

Dogs welcome

Thank you for your Feb. 10 editorial, "Let's build a dog park" which detailed some of the "unspoken compromises that make civic life civil."

I am not a dog owner. Years ago, when owners kept their pets at home, I used to walk in the fields behind the Hanger Theatre.

However, the strip of land near the water was frequently populated by unsavory folk who appeared to be trading, selling or using various illegal substances. Our little group of walkers never got close enough to see exactly what these other people were doing, but for me, the peaceful atmosphere became tainted and it was no longer pleasant to go there. Now that this same parcel of land is so well used by dogs and their owners, it is again one of our favorite places to be.

One can share the joys of watching herons over the water, adults and small children running up and down the hills with their pets, and boat crews practicing without wondering whether or not one is in a "safe" place.

Please, let's keep the dog park right where it is.

Joanne Sturgeon
Ithaca

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