I have added this introduction as there seems to be some confusion as to what the petition is asking for. The petition is asking for a dog park where dogs and their owners can socialise. This does not mean dogs will be restricted from the rest of the Heath off lead. We are asking for a dog park as an addition. Children have their own play areas but they are not restricted from the rest of the Heath. We are merely asking The City of London Corporation to recognise the need for this addition and not to neglect its dog community.
Dog parks have emerged in the last decade or so as places for pet owners living in suburban and urban areas to exercise their dogs. Providing a safe environment for both dog and human is a tremendous challenge. If done correctly a dog park can be that place. The concept of a dog park, an enclosed area devoted exclusively to canine activity, evolved in California in 1979. These parks have varying features, although they typically offer a 4' to 6' fence, separate double-gated entry and exit points, adequate drainage, benches for humans, shade for hot days, water, tools to pick up and dispose of animal waste and appropriate bins and regular maintenance and cleaning of the grounds. Dog parks may also offer wheel-chair access, a pool for the dogs to swim and cool off in and a separate enclosure for small dogs and puppies.
Dog parks provide a community setting in which people can gather and socialize and where they can observe the interaction of groups of dogs at play. Dog parks allow owners and their dogs to spend time together and offer dogs a space for play and companionship with others.
There seems to be a real need to create a dog park in urban environments in general and on Hampstead Heath specifically. Not only would a dog park on
Hampstead Heath, provide a designated safe place to take dogs to play, exercise, and interact, but the dog owners would have the opportunity to interact and socialize with each other. Residents who are unable to own a dog, for whatever reason, could also benefit from the dog park as they can visit and spend time with dogs in a controlled environment.
Walking dogs off lead on Hampstead Heath long enough to provide them with adequate exercise and socialisation is becoming increasingly problematic, especially during the summer months due to picnickers and children. Hampstead Heath is a public place and therefore should cater for the whole public, including dogs and their owners.
Helsinki, Finland dogs can choose from more then 80 dog parks. In Mt Fuji, Japan, dog enthusiasts can go to a dog amusement park. Dog owners can enjoy rides and activities with their dog or if a patron does not own a dog, he can rent one by the hour. Rules were drafted by the city of Rome’s Office for Animal Rights which order better treatment for all pets. The rules include a $625 fine for those who fail to take their dogs out on regular walk.
A dog park on Hampstead Heath could also run activities and events. These could include canine information seminars which include, Breed specific information on a chosen breed for a particular day, involving useful information, including nutrition, grooming, temperament, health and origin. Qualified vets, dog behaviorists, groomers, nutritionist and a breed specific specialist could cover these days. The dog park could also hold workshops for children teaching them about responsible dog ownership, correct handling and approaching and puppy petting.
A dog park on Hampstead Heath is well over due, so is it not about time the City of London Corporation listened to the dog community and recognised the necessity for a dog park on the Heath?
Please also like the page & share any experiences you may have on the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/hampsteadheathdogpark
Updates
August 2, 2014
Discussions regarding the proposed enclosure are ongoing and I am currently compiling feedback from local pet owners to present to the City of London Corporation. Your continued interest provides essential weight to these conversations as we seek to improve the amenities available on the Heath.
August 2, 2014
The momentum behind this proposal indicates that our community recognizes the value of a dedicated space for canine social interaction. I am encouraged by the level of engagement and look forward to presenting these collective thoughts to the City of London Corporation.
10 Comments
Hi Jeremy This is the sort of idea that potentially a few years later could be converted into dog owners only being allowed in the restricted areas. A poisoning "for your own good "type of argument would suffice. I have walked my dogs on the Heath for 40 years and walk the perimeters, it is the sense of freedom and open sky that make the Heath so attractive. I find it extraordinary that anyone would want to be fenced in. Philip
In my experience, the heath is perfect as it is, as a place to socialise with other visitors and their dogs. Why would anyone need a designated space on the heath? Call me cynical, but I see this as a way of calling for all dogs on the heath to be on lead or banned altogether. It would be much easier to argue for those restrictions if we had "a designated dog park".
yes
I think this would useful in all boroughs
I totally agree with Anna. I've never had a problem walking my dogs on The Heath and really appreciate the freedom to roam wherever I want. There are always people to talk to and lots of dogs to socialise with and I know that lots of other responsible dog owners feel the same as me. What's more, we report any problems, eg., fires, suspicious characters, lost children, dogs etc., to The Heath Constabulary.
"In Mt Fuji, Japan, dog enthusiasts can go to a dog amusement park. Dog owners can enjoy rides and activities with their dog or if a patron does not own a dog, he can rent one by the hour." The Heath is not and will never be an amusement park. "A dog park on Hampstead Heath could also run activities and events" " Qualified vets, dog behaviorists, groomers, nutritionist and a breed specific specialist could cover these days. The dog park could also hold workshops for children teaching them about responsible dog ownership, correct handling and approaching and puppy petting." Puppy petting? Sounds awfully like a zoo to me. The Heath is not the place for professionals to be touting for business, and the place for children to meet dogs is the schoolroom or in the homes of friends who have dogs. The Heath is not a park. There are no flower gardens and even paths are primitive by some standards. If people want parks they can use Regent's Park, Golder's Hill Park or Primrose Hill. The Heath is for those Londoners who treasure wildlife and the countryside. There are woodlands, ponds, meadows - none of which has been managed to the point where it is not recognisable as landscape rather than urban park. As a member of the dog community on the Heath for some forty years now I can assure you the vast majority would be horrified by this suggestion, but - as I have already stated - in any event the terms of the Bequest would not allow it.
Commercial enterprise for who? Zoo???
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I have added this introduction as there seems to be some confusion as to what the petition is asking for. The petition is asking for a dog park where dogs and their owners can socialise. This does not mean dogs will be restricted from the rest of the Heath off lead. We are asking for a dog park as an addition. Children have their own play areas but they are not restricted from the rest of the Heath. We are merely asking The City of London Corporation to recognise the need for this addition and not to neglect its dog community.
Dog parks have emerged in the last decade or so as places for pet owners living in suburban and urban areas to exercise their dogs. Providing a safe environment for both dog and human is a tremendous challenge. If done correctly a dog park can be that place. The concept of a dog park, an enclosed area devoted exclusively to canine activity, evolved in California in 1979. These parks have varying features, although they typically offer a 4' to 6' fence, separate double-gated entry and exit points, adequate drainage, benches for humans, shade for hot days, water, tools to pick up and dispose of animal waste and appropriate bins and regular maintenance and cleaning of the grounds. Dog parks may also offer wheel-chair access, a pool for the dogs to swim and cool off in and a separate enclosure for small dogs and puppies.
Dog parks provide a community setting in which people can gather and socialize and where they can observe the interaction of groups of dogs at play. Dog parks allow owners and their dogs to spend time together and offer dogs a space for play and companionship with others.
There seems to be a real need to create a dog park in urban environments in general and on Hampstead Heath specifically. Not only would a dog park on
Hampstead Heath, provide a designated safe place to take dogs to play, exercise, and interact, but the dog owners would have the opportunity to interact and socialize with each other. Residents who are unable to own a dog, for whatever reason, could also benefit from the dog park as they can visit and spend time with dogs in a controlled environment.
Walking dogs off lead on Hampstead Heath long enough to provide them with adequate exercise and socialisation is becoming increasingly problematic, especially during the summer months due to picnickers and children. Hampstead Heath is a public place and therefore should cater for the whole public, including dogs and their owners.
Helsinki, Finland dogs can choose from more then 80 dog parks. In Mt Fuji, Japan, dog enthusiasts can go to a dog amusement park. Dog owners can enjoy rides and activities with their dog or if a patron does not own a dog, he can rent one by the hour. Rules were drafted by the city of Rome’s Office for Animal Rights which order better treatment for all pets. The rules include a $625 fine for those who fail to take their dogs out on regular walk.
A dog park on Hampstead Heath could also run activities and events. These could include canine information seminars which include, Breed specific information on a chosen breed for a particular day, involving useful information, including nutrition, grooming, temperament, health and origin. Qualified vets, dog behaviorists, groomers, nutritionist and a breed specific specialist could cover these days. The dog park could also hold workshops for children teaching them about responsible dog ownership, correct handling and approaching and puppy petting.
A dog park on Hampstead Heath is well over due, so is it not about time the City of London Corporation listened to the dog community and recognised the necessity for a dog park on the Heath?
Please also like the page & share any experiences you may have on the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/hampsteadheathdogpark
Updates
August 2, 2014
Discussions regarding the proposed enclosure are ongoing and I am currently compiling feedback from local pet owners to present to the City of London Corporation. Your continued interest provides essential weight to these conversations as we seek to improve the amenities available on the Heath.
August 2, 2014
The momentum behind this proposal indicates that our community recognizes the value of a dedicated space for canine social interaction. I am encouraged by the level of engagement and look forward to presenting these collective thoughts to the City of London Corporation.
10 Comments
The Petitioners have not troubled to investigate the history of the Heath. If they had they would know that it was bequested to the nation by the last owner and that Byelaws were put in place which are pretty much written in tablets of stone. These Byelaws, coupled with national and local legislation, serve very well. In addition the dog parks being proposed here are entirely inappropriate for the Heath and sound more like an opportunity for commercial enterprise or zoo than anything else. They may have been enthusiastically embraced in America, Japan, etc. but I very much doubt that anyone in the UK would approve of them.
Hi Jeremy This is the sort of idea that potentially a few years later could be converted into dog owners only being allowed in the restricted areas. A poisoning "for your own good "type of argument would suffice. I have walked my dogs on the Heath for 40 years and walk the perimeters, it is the sense of freedom and open sky that make the Heath so attractive. I find it extraordinary that anyone would want to be fenced in. Philip
In my experience, the heath is perfect as it is, as a place to socialise with other visitors and their dogs. Why would anyone need a designated space on the heath? Call me cynical, but I see this as a way of calling for all dogs on the heath to be on lead or banned altogether. It would be much easier to argue for those restrictions if we had "a designated dog park".
yes
I think this would useful in all boroughs
I totally agree with Anna. I've never had a problem walking my dogs on The Heath and really appreciate the freedom to roam wherever I want. There are always people to talk to and lots of dogs to socialise with and I know that lots of other responsible dog owners feel the same as me. What's more, we report any problems, eg., fires, suspicious characters, lost children, dogs etc., to The Heath Constabulary.
"In Mt Fuji, Japan, dog enthusiasts can go to a dog amusement park. Dog owners can enjoy rides and activities with their dog or if a patron does not own a dog, he can rent one by the hour." The Heath is not and will never be an amusement park. "A dog park on Hampstead Heath could also run activities and events" " Qualified vets, dog behaviorists, groomers, nutritionist and a breed specific specialist could cover these days. The dog park could also hold workshops for children teaching them about responsible dog ownership, correct handling and approaching and puppy petting." Puppy petting? Sounds awfully like a zoo to me. The Heath is not the place for professionals to be touting for business, and the place for children to meet dogs is the schoolroom or in the homes of friends who have dogs. The Heath is not a park. There are no flower gardens and even paths are primitive by some standards. If people want parks they can use Regent's Park, Golder's Hill Park or Primrose Hill. The Heath is for those Londoners who treasure wildlife and the countryside. There are woodlands, ponds, meadows - none of which has been managed to the point where it is not recognisable as landscape rather than urban park. As a member of the dog community on the Heath for some forty years now I can assure you the vast majority would be horrified by this suggestion, but - as I have already stated - in any event the terms of the Bequest would not allow it.
Commercial enterprise for who? Zoo???
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The Petitioners have not troubled to investigate the history of the Heath. If they had they would know that it was bequested to the nation by the last owner and that Byelaws were put in place which are pretty much written in tablets of stone. These Byelaws, coupled with national and local legislation, serve very well. In addition the dog parks being proposed here are entirely inappropriate for the Heath and sound more like an opportunity for commercial enterprise or zoo than anything else. They may have been enthusiastically embraced in America, Japan, etc. but I very much doubt that anyone in the UK would approve of them.