There have been many discussions about the benefits of exercise to dogs or to the dog’s owner, but how about the benefit to society at large? Nick Barnett explains:

Dogs and walker at the beach.

So there are positive public goods that emerge from dog ownership – when it’s responsible. …

when dogs improve people’s health, enhance their opportunities for socialising, build responsible habits, and make the streets and parks busier and friendlier, then there are benefits leaking through our whole society.

[Via : Do dogs improve the neighbourhood? | Stuff.co.nz.]

Dog parks, if well-used by dog owners, can actually be safer places than other park may be. After all, a popular place is likely safer than an isolated spot.

What do you think? Do you feel any safer (with or without your dog) in a popular park?

In Rotorua, New Zealand, locals have created a statue in remembrance of a stray dog, Harawene (photo):

Harawene, a little foxie cross, spent more than a decade living next to [Rotorua's] busiest highway.

She died last year and locals raised thousands of dollars for a proper memorial.

[Via : Rotorua stray dog immortalised in statue | NATIONAL News.]

As a familiar figure in the area Harawene had become well-loved:

Detractors have said she was “just a dog” but the compassion that emerged from the community was inspiring, for 15 years complete strangers cared for her, fed her and created a place out of the rain for her for only her benefit.  That and her endearing personality, clearly a free spirit has meant that even today you will see both individuals and whanau paying their respects to the place she once called home.

…For 15 years Rotorua dog Harawene has lived on the side of Te Ngae Rd, … near the intersection of Robinson Ave, … running away from anyone who has tried to get close.

[Via : Harawene Tribute erected | TangataWhenua.com.]

It’s good to know that statue will be there to continue to bring a smile to travellers.

Wellington, New Zealand isn’t very friendly towards dogs. There are no dedicated, fully-fenced doggy playgrounds, and dogs aren’t allowed in the central city.

In December 2009 changes to the policy have eased things slightly:

Art exhibition beside Waitangi Park in 2006.

Wellington City Councillors approved changes to the Dog Policy at today’s Council meeting. The four new off-leash exercise areas are Chelmswood Reserve in Ngaio, Vice Regal North and Alexandra Road West on the Town Belt in Newtown and Worser Bay beach (before 9am and after 7pm in summer and at all times in winter).

The extensions to the current dog exercise areas include Trelissick Park, Dorrie Leslie Park and Meekswood Reserve. … At Waitangi Park, dog owners can take their dogs on-leash around the outside, but dogs will be prohibited from the open grass area.

… dog owners can now walk their dogs on a leash through the CBD to the waterfront and other parts of the city, but they are not allowed to stop with their dog in the CBD.

[Via : Wellington.scoop.co.nz » You're now allowed to walk your dog in the CBD, but you're not allowed to stop.]

The Wellington City Council dog pages don’t seem to have been updated yet with the new details.

There’s a new dog park in Aiken, South Carolina, USA, thanks to the City and the SPCA both putting in funds, together with a donation from a local family:

Aiken dog park.

It is located at 199 Willow Run Road, behind the Willow Run Industrial Park.

Both big and small dogs are welcome at the pet playground. The facility will have a specific area for large dogs and a place for smaller dogs. It will also include a common area where any dog can roam free.

Officials with the park said it will also include a square, 30-foot by 30-foot splash pool. The pool will be 10 inches deep and will resemble a ground-level swimming pool.

[Via : Dog park prepares for next week's opening | Aiken Standard | Aiken, SC.]

The 2 acre park opens 12 December 2009.

The Aiken SPCA are calling for volunteer dog park rangers:

The Aiken SPCA Dog Park should be opening by the end of the summer and we are looking to line up volunteers interested in becoming a part of this new venture.  Rangers will monitor the park for vandalism and operating problems from sun-up to sun-down and are welcome to bring their personal pets to the park while volunteering.

In Calgary, Alberta, Canada, the local council wants dog owners to more directly fund off-leash dog parks, with extra fees:

Bowmont Offleash Park. Photo by Randy Peters.

Calgarians may have to pay a fee to use the city’s off-leash parks.

The suggestion has been put forward to a city committee as a way of dealing with the costs of adding more off-leash areas and improving safety. …

The city plans to create 15 new off-leash dog areas by 2011.

The city also needs more money to help maintain the existing off-leash parks. Some of those maintenance funds would go towards fence building, adding more waste bins or adding washrooms.

[Via : CTV Calgary- Calgarians may face fees to use off-leash parks - CTV News, Shows and Sports -- Canadian Television.]

Calgary dog information

Read more information about dogs in Calgary, including off-leash areas and surveys of dog owners.

Going through the airport in Atlanta, Georgia, USA? Now your dog has a place to rest and relax while you wait to travel:

On November 18th [2009], Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson airport opened it’s new off-leash dog park in time for the holiday season.

Hartsfield-Jackson airport accommodates thousands of canine customers every year and the new facility will cater for 2 dogs at a time. The fully fenced 1,000-square-foot dog park is part of the Ground Transportation center on the west end of the passenger terminal, and features flowers, grass, rocks, benches and “two original pieces of art to sniff and enjoy”. Biodegradable bags for pet waste are available at the dog park to help meet the needs of this growing group of passengers.

[Via : Atlanta Airport Opens Dog Park Facility | Pet and Animal News | PetPeoplesPlace.com.]

Are you looking at me? Photo by Foto Jenny.

To accommodate passengers’ pets and guide dogs, Hartsfield-Jackson has a Poochie Park located on the lower level of Terminal North outside door LN2 to the right of the building. Owners can take animals to this grassy area and allow pets to relieve themselves. Owners are expected to clean up after their animals if possible with scoopers provided on site. Pet owners whose animals experience an accident elsewhere around the terminal may use the Poochie Park scoopers and receptacles for clean-up.

There are also two other areas where pets may relieve themselves in the grassy knoll located in the Ground Transportation area on Terminal South outside of doors W1 and W2. Currently, Hartsfield-Jackson does not have pet facilities inside the secured areas. We recommend owners take advantage of the above locations if possible.

[Via : HJAIA - Pet Assistance.]

In the UK there have been some concerns about ‘cowboy dog walkers’. The response from some local Councils has been to create a Code of Conduct for dog walkers. In Brighton and Hove:

Dogs and walkers in Wellington, New Zealand.

By signing the code of conduct, dog walkers agree to clean up after their animals and keep them under proper control.

They must minimise the impact that exercising multiple dogs has on other park users and have insurance.

They also agree to transport dogs in vehicles with proper ventilation so as not to cause them distress, especially during hot weather, and to provide water as necessary.

[Via : BBC NEWS | UK | England | Sussex | Dog walkers get code of conduct.]

The Code of Conduct is voluntary, and involves inspecting vehicles, having insurance and agreeing to the terms:

Under the scheme dog walkers volunteer to undergo an inspection of any vehicles used for transporting animals, provide insurance information and sign up to a dog walker’s Code of Conduct. Companies that have signed up to the code of conduct and passed the inspection will be listed on the council’s website.

[Via : code of conduct for dog walkers - Brighton & Hove City Council.]

Where to walk your dog in Brighton and Hove

There’s an official Google Map with information about dog control areas, and any conditions.

Shopping Mall. Photo by xcode.

This makes a lot of sense. Instead of dragging the kids or a reluctant partner round the shopping mall, send them and the dog to play in the doggy playground on the roof:

DOG owners can look forward to a shopping mall in Serangoon Central by the end of next year with a dedicated playground for dogs, where pets can frolic for free.

The 185-sq m rooftop dog park at nex is the first dog playground in a mall here that comes with equipment such as a dog track for running, highjump bars, tyre hoops and exercise slides. …

Dog owners can take their canine friends to the park using designated lifts in the mall or an escalator on the exterior of nex. Dogs have to be leashed until they reach the dog park, and are prohibited from visiting other parts of the mall. …

Besides nex, two other malls here — Eastpoint and VivoCity — have dog-dedicated spaces.

[Via : Shop while pooch frolics in playground.]

In Birmingham, Alabama, USA, residents can finally let their dogs off-leash in a new dog park:

Bark for a Park.

The city of Birmingham officially opened its dog park [in October 2009] to the delight of area dog owners and their pets.

The fenced 2.6-acre site at George Ward Park gives dogs a place to roam unleashed …

[Via : First dog park opens in Birmingham, Alabama - al.com.]

This dog park came about quickly, thanks to the efforts of a local group, Bark For A Park, and a mayor who wanted to cut through all the usual red tape:

Here’s what happened. Late in the morning on Wednesday, October 7th [2009], Bark for a Park’s President, Claudine Arredondo-Graf, got a phone call. It was Mayor Langford. (Impressive, right?) His message to her was, in essence, that he’d only recently found out of our longtime efforts to open a dog park in Birmingham, and that he was going to cut all the red tape and simply make it happen. Like, right away.

[Via : It's Really Happening! .]

Handy dog park tips

Check out the handy audio files that Bark for a Park link to:

• Preparing Your Dog for the Dog Park: tips and advice on getting your dog ready for his first trip to the dog park.
• Taking Your Dog to the Dog Park: steps to start your dog our under control, spend a little time training, and finishing the day up under control so you and your dog can have the best dog park experience possible!

Those two items come from a podcast by the Creative Dog Training Online folks.

Residents in Dover, New Hampshire, USA have asked for an off-leash dog park. And they may just have their request granted:

The demand for a dog park [in Dover] became apparent recently when the committee tasked to update the city’s Recreation Master Plan solicited input from residents about what they want for recreation options in the city. Based on the overwhelming input requesting a dog park, the Recreation Master Plan now recommends establishing a dog park, Planning Director Chris Parker said.

The park is currently being targeted for an area of

Long Hill Memorial Park.

Long Hill Memorial Park adjacent to the basketball court, which Parker said is away from residential abutters and is partially wooded and easily accessible for the public.

“We didn’t just want to fence in an open area,” Recreation Director Gary Bannon said. “We want to create a fun environment for dogs and their owners.”

Instead, Bannon said there would be both an open area and a wooded area, which would provide shade. The city is also considering including a separate area for smaller dogs, Bannon said. …

The park would be constructed using fees paid by developers who have built projects in the nearby area, Park said, adding volunteers have approached the city about providing services, such as clearing brush and ground cover to help mitigate the costs.

[Via : Dover may build area for dogs at Long Hill park - Fosters.]