TCDOG Agenda in the News

Article published in The Ithaca Journal March 16, 2005

New dog group organizes to promote park

ROGER DUPUIS II
Journal Staff

ITHACA -- A local group dedicated to promoting a legal dog park in Tompkins County will hold a key organizational meeting tonight.

The Tompkins County Dog Owners Group -- TCDOG -- will gather for its first general membership meeting from 6-8:30 p.m. at the Greater Ithaca Activities Center gymnasium, 318 N. Albany St. The purpose of tonight's meeting is not to hash out plans for a dog park, but to tackle basic organizational tasks necessary before the big issues can be dealt with.

"Basically, the idea of the meeting is to bring together the broad range of people who have been reading about the issue for a year -- or years -- and to re-organize TCDOG," said TCDOG planning committee member Stephen Landesmann.

On the agenda tonight will be the election of a five-member executive committee for the organization, Landesmann said. The meeting will open from 6 to 6:30 p.m. with registration, he added.

The meeting itself will run from 6:30-8:30 p.m. and in addition to elections there will be video clips of people speaking about their dogs and what having an off-leash dog park means to them.

TCDOG is a nonprofit group dedicated to the expansion of recreational opportunities for dogs and their owners, developing a dog-friendly environment in Tompkins County and the promotion of dog-based tourism in and around Ithaca.

The issue of creating a formal dog park locally has simmered for several years. TCDOG first met in January 2000, Landesmann said, and incorporated in November of that year. But it later lapsed into dormancy.

Area dog owners don't have a legally-sanctioned public venue to exercise their dogs in the county. The marina area in Allen H. Treman State Marine Park has been used -- unofficially and illegally -- by dog owners for many years, but New York State Park Police have been cracking down in recent months.

TCDOG is continuing to work towards legalization of the informal dog park adjacent to Treman Marina.

Landesmann fully expects the matter to arise tonight, but stressed that long-term solutions will take time to develop.

"The floor will be open to discussion of how to implement (it)," he said.

Attendees are asked to use the Court Street entrance to the GIAC gym.

Contact: rdupuis@ithaca.gannett.com

Originally published Wednesday, March 16, 2005

Contact TCDOG at info@tcdog.org.