The patrons of Glenbrook Dog Park petition the City of Sacramento to prohibit children under the age of 16 in the off-leash area at 8500 La Riviera Dr., Sacramento, CA 95826. This ban is for the benefit of children, parents, dogs, and owners alike, as it is in the safety interest of all parties involved, and will restore the sole intention of the park, which is to provide a place where dogs can play, exercise, socialize with other canines, and roam about freely.

This petition does not imply that dogs are more important than children, but instead reinforces a common sense attitude that a dog park is indeed created for dogs, and that in the course of normal, healthy, supervised, off-leash dog play, a child could very easily get injured. Additionally, there are many dogs that are not accustomed to being around children, and as such would be deprived of the very intent of the park if children are present.

Other reasons to prohibit children:

• Poor sanitary conditions exist due to animal feces, urine, vomit, and parasites.

• Since adults have been knocked down like bowling pins by dogs playing, what chance does a child have?

• At times there is an unfair burden of liability on the dog owner: even if a child provokes a dog and gets injured, the owner still may be held liable.

• Children can behave unpredictably, and so can dogs. The two variables together mean someone will get hurt.

• One adult to supervise dogs and children is not enough.

• Many dog parks across the country have already banned children, knowing that the potential for injuries and lawsuits creates a lose/lose situation.

• Most adults literally don’t understand the concept of supervising their child in the park. Supervising means the child should at all times be within arm’s length of the parent with no running, jumping, yelling, waving arms, no food, no climbing and rattling the fences, no treating the dog park like it’s a petting zoo, and no using the dog park to ease the child’s fear of animals. 

These are inciteful behaviors that have occurred, and continue to occur, at Glenbrook Dog Park, and yet if something bad happens many parents will be quick to cry foul.  Unfortunately by then the damage already will have been done. 

If you are in agreement with the above, please sign the following: