I originally posted this article in June 2010 but Life in the Village reminded me that I still have a dog and no place EotR to take him to play. Dog parks are not just for "white people" they are for people with dogs and the people who love people with dogs. Here is to hoping that under the Gray administration an EotR dog park is in the near future. - The Advoc8te

Teddy at the new and improved Shaw dog park

I love my dog - a lot.

Not only do I buy him dog toys by the pound (ha-ha "pound") but I keep them in a toy box just for him.

He has a collection of darling little t-shirts (which I sometimes iron) and a large collection of trendy harnesses and leashes.

He has dog insurance (which I suspect is better than my human insurance).

He even sleeps in the bed with me at night...at the head of the bed...on his own pillow (clearly I have given up all control).

However, despite my love for my little darling (his name is Teddy)  when I want to take him to a DC dog park I have to drive "over the river and through the woods" because there are no DC dog parks East of the River. If I didn't have a car or access to a car I wouldn't be able to take him to a dog park at all, metro kind of frowns on bringing nonservice dogs on the bus and subway.

And that really bites (no pun intended).

I, along with every other responsible DC dog owner has to jump through hoops (okay that pun was intended) to keep my dog vaccinated just so I can get him registered in DC and get the special DC dog park tag, and I pay  $15 a year for the privilege

I don't whine about getting him vaccinated (I do that to keep him healthy).  I don't whine about filling out the paperwork to get him licensed in DC (its the law). I don't even really mind shelling out the $15 for the dog license and the dog park tag (small price to pay so my little guy can sniff butts in peace)  but I do get annoyed, really annoyed,  when I have to get in my car and drive at least 15 minutes if I want to take him to a city-owned dog park.

That is so not "dog-friendly".

Teddy's first visit to the Shaw dog park.

The closest designated public dog space is the Congressional Cemetery in the Capitol Hill section of SE. I still have to cross the bridge and frankly there is something creepy about letting my dog play, urinate and unload his "chicken nuggets" on tombstones. ( UPDATE: I have learned this is not a free service you have to pay for a membership and volunteer at the cemetery) Call me superstitious but I don't feel like Teddy and I need to dodge tombstones, sinkholes, and possibly zombies just so he can get his tinkle on.  It doesn't help that the property isn't really fenced in properly for smaller dogs intent on escaping.



There has been controversy in the news as of late about Mayor Fenty spending $400,000 on a dog park while cutting back on social services. I support the Mayor on this - I want a dog park!  I know not everyone is going to agree (publicly anyway) with what I am about to say but I am going to say it.  A big portion of my taxes already go to support the public education and services of  children I do not have (because I can't afford them and I really don't want any) and for a "safety net" that I don't get to use.  My safety net is spelled "J-O-B" and when I didn't have a job for 18 months my lifestyle was mostly sponsored by my fallback safety net  "H-U-S-T-L-E". I'm not asking for a rebate on my taxes because I am not taking advantage of all these city services (which are paid for with my tax dollars) so for those who keep wanting to make an issue out of dog park vs. more funds for social services (which I know are getting more than 400k) please throw us with a dog a bone, especially those of us without dependents who consider our furry friends our babies.

" Maybe, next year Santa will bring me a dog park." *sigh*

If I do have any concerns about DC tax dollars sponsoring a  new DC dog park it is that we don't have one single public dog park East of the River and we could really use one. There are a lot of tax paying citizens East of the River, we have dogs, we are following the law, paying the fees and we don't have a dog park in our own community that we can use. I should not have to drive 15 minutes and go over a bridge in order to walk my dog in my own city. That is absurd and a major oversight that needs to be addressed.  There are several dog parks in Northwest which are in close proximity to one another so I think it is about time that DC set aside some dollars and invest in at least one River East dog park. I can think of several places in Ward 8 that would make a great place for a dog park - starting with the park on the corner of MLK and Malcolm X Avenue.  It would definitely make a much better use of the space than as a impromptu waiting room for the homeless turned out of the shelter at Saint Elizabeths during the day (btw this is still a huge issue that still hasn't been addressed at all by DC government or Catholic Charities).

"Did you hear that Capital Hill is getting a dog park?"

I propose the following:
Dear Mayor Fenty Gray and members of the DC Council,
People East of the River have dogs.
We pay taxes.
We would like to take advantage of some of these awesome amenities that are popping up all over the city.


Can you please throw us a bone (okay I lied about the puns) and set aside some funds for an East of the River dog park? I understand that DC dog parks are managed in part by a DC dog association, there has to be a dog association  who would like to partner  with a River East community to get a dog park. Can we make that happen?


Do it for the doggies! Pretty please!

Thanks!
Teddy's Mommy.

P.S.  If you have any dog or pet pictures please send them in - I would love to post them. Please include the name of your little darling(s) and Ward.