About a dozen people attended the Shirlington Community Canine Area (CCA) meeting at the Shirlington library May 18. On the agenda was setting a date for the next clean-up day, the cost of waste pickup bags, County maintenance and rule changes.
The most surprising announcement was that the County is going to ban children under age eight from being in the park. They are also going to require that children ages 8-14 be accompanied by an adult.
Keith Fred, head of the Shirlington Dogs sponsoring group that voluntarily manages the park, said the County has made the decision already, and they are just waiting for a final review by the County’s lawyers before they post the new rule at the park. He said that the County researched the rules of other dog parks in the local area and consulted with legal counsel in order to develop the ban.
However, dog park users were not informed that the rule was under consideration, and no public notice was posted to invite community input prior to the County making the decision.
It is true that Fairfax County bans children under eight years old from their seven dog parks. Fairfax County dog park rules.
Alexandria, however, only requires that children under 16 years old be accompanied by an adult in their 18 dog parks. Alexandria dog park rules.
As a childless dog owner who goes to the Shirlington CCA multiple times a week, I think it would be a shame to ban children. Requiring that all children be accompanied by an adult is reasonable. Denying families who can’t afford a single family home with a yard—which in this high-priced housing market is a huge number of Arlington residents—the opportunity to enjoy off-leash time with their dog is, in my opinion, wrong.
Anyone wishing to express their opinion on the issue can contact the Arlington County Parks and Natural Resources Department through their online Contact Us form or at 703-228-6523 or 6525.
The Shirlington Dogs sponsoring group can be contacted at TheShirlingtonDogsII-owner@yahoogroups.com. To join the group, go to: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/theshirlingtondogsII/
Fred also shared interesting statistics about the CCA. He estimates, and Arlington County concurs, that the park has more than 5,000 users A WEEK. That is higher than any other Arlington County dog park, and possibly more than all other Arlington County dog parks combined.
That many dogs means a lot of dog waste. More than 2,500 pickup bags are used each week—that’s 120,000 a year. The Washington Post used to donate bags to the park, but stopped a few years ago. Arlington County does not pay for the bags, which cost $3,000 a year. They are partially paid for by donations, but Fred uses his own money to pay for the majority of them.
Volunteers working during the Shirlington CCA's last clean up day.
There will be a donation drive in conjunction with the next CCA clean up day, which was set for Saturday, June 18 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Clean up volunteers are asked to bring work gloves and tools such as shovels and rakes. Water will be provided for the volunteers.
Fred asked that park users make sure their dogs do not approach County workers while they are maintaining the park, as the workers have complained. He also reminded users that the park closes 30 minutes after sunset, and said that park rangers patrol after hours and will cite violators.
Finally, Fred thanked the Arlington County Fire Department at the South Walter Reed station for voluntarily flushing the drainpipe near the small dog play area that had been backing up and causing a large puddle of standing water.
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Two Dog Tales 