Ithaca Conference - Planning for a Dog-Friendly Community
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Seth Sicroff
Apr 21, 2006, 6:53:19 AM4/21/06
to dog...@lists.ithaca.edu
Here is the original text of my "guest column" published in
today's Ithaca Journal. In the paper, the last paragraph was lopped off
in an odd way.
Seth
Let's Make Ithaca a Dog-Friendly Community
According to the latest national survey, dog ownership in American is at its highest level: 73 million dogs. Three-quarters of dog owners consider their dogs part of the family. 36% of dogs sleep in their owners' beds. Eight out of ten dog owners buy dog gifts, not just for Christmas, but also for birthdays, Easter, Halloween, Valentine's Day, Hannukah and just because. The average gift costs $17. The pet industry as a whole doubled in size between 1994 and 2004: at $34.3 billion, it is larger than even the candy and toy industries.
Dogs are pack animals, and they are running animals. For people who care deeply about their dog's happiness, it is unthinkable to raise a dog on leash at all times, unable to socialize with other dogs, unable to even stretch her legs. It would be like raising a child with bound feet. That's why there are now about 2500 designated off-leash recreational areas across America, and more every day.
No bones about it: Ithaca is Dog-Unfriendly
In all of Ithaca, however, there is absolutely no public land where you can legally allow your dog to run off-leash. Not even Cornell, once famous as a dog-friendly sanctuary, allows dogs to play free on campus. But lack of off-leash recreation is just part of a deeper problem in Ithaca. The fact that The Commons is closed to dogs, even on-leash, is beyond insulting. It's an outrage. What is going on here?
It's not just about dog parks
In many respects, we are making progress in our relationship with the animals in our lives. Across America, animal rights are taken increasingly seriously and there is a growing recognition of the profound benefits of the companionship of pets, particularly cats and dogs. Paradoxically, just as we are realizing the justice and the benefits of welcoming and respecting companion animals in our society, there are powerful forces working to marginalize and sequester dogs. People with dogs are denied access to accommodations, public spaces, and transportation. Breed-specific legislation and insurance exclusions fly in the face of our ideals of fair play and the presumption of innocence.
It takes a dog-friendly community
There are, of course, groups that try to fix our more egregious problems – abandoned, lost, and abused pets (both cats and dogs). Neutering, rehabilitation, fostering, and unfortunately euthanasia will remain unavoidable. However, the best solution is a pet-friendly culture. A great number of pets are abandoned simply because the owners find they have miscalculated their ability to care for them. They have to move, and find no pet-friendly apartments. They get pregnant, and are persuaded the pet will be a danger to the infant. They need to travel or are otherwise engaged for a brief time, and have no one to take care of their pet. They buy a puppy for their child, and find that the entire responsibility reverts to them. In every instance, a more pet-friendly environment could deter abandonment. Public school curricula about pet-ownership. Pet-daycare networks. More pet-friendly housing. What's needed is not just tolerance, but co-operation. Positive reinforcement. Remove the stress, and more people will find ways to keep their cherished companions.
What Ithaca needs is a commitment to dog-friendliness – not for our dogs, but for us. A community that welcomes dogs is a powerful magnet for new residents, tourists, and business. Dog-based tourism is itself a rapidly growing market, as more and more of us plan vacations where we can take our dogs, rather than leaving them behind. Ithaca could easily transform itself into a world-class dog-based tourism destination. It already has a high density of dog-friendly institutions, including Cornell Veterinary School, Tompkins County SPCA, Cornell Companions, Cayuga Dog Rescue, and TCDOG. Many hotels and B&B's welcome dogs. There are miles of hiking trails. Even the name "Ithaca" offers an opportunity: in Homer's Odyssey, when Odysseus returns to Ithaca in disguise after twenty years' absence, his long-suffering hound Argus recognizes him, wags his tail, and dies. I propose that we remove the "No Dogs" signs on The Commons and instead erect a sculpture of Odysseus' homecoming -- a fitting icon for a dog-friendly Ithaca. Expand the TCDOG Halloween party, create a summer-time Dog Days festival, and voilà, Dog-Friendly Ithaca Welcomes You!
Let's talk about it
On Saturday, April 22, from 9am to 7:15pm, there will be a conference at the Holiday Inn in downtown Ithaca. (Web site is www.ithacaconference.com) The theme is "Planning for a dog-friendly community," and representatives from concerned groups around the country will be participating. It's free, and open to the public. Let's talk about what we can do to make our community a better place to visit and a better place to live.
=================================
In the Ithaca Journal:
http://ithacajournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060421/OPINION02/604210326/1014/OPINION
Other letter:
http://ithacajournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060421/OPINION03/604210328/1014/OPINION
Seth
Let's Make Ithaca a Dog-Friendly Community
According to the latest national survey, dog ownership in American is at its highest level: 73 million dogs. Three-quarters of dog owners consider their dogs part of the family. 36% of dogs sleep in their owners' beds. Eight out of ten dog owners buy dog gifts, not just for Christmas, but also for birthdays, Easter, Halloween, Valentine's Day, Hannukah and just because. The average gift costs $17. The pet industry as a whole doubled in size between 1994 and 2004: at $34.3 billion, it is larger than even the candy and toy industries.
Dogs are pack animals, and they are running animals. For people who care deeply about their dog's happiness, it is unthinkable to raise a dog on leash at all times, unable to socialize with other dogs, unable to even stretch her legs. It would be like raising a child with bound feet. That's why there are now about 2500 designated off-leash recreational areas across America, and more every day.
No bones about it: Ithaca is Dog-Unfriendly
In all of Ithaca, however, there is absolutely no public land where you can legally allow your dog to run off-leash. Not even Cornell, once famous as a dog-friendly sanctuary, allows dogs to play free on campus. But lack of off-leash recreation is just part of a deeper problem in Ithaca. The fact that The Commons is closed to dogs, even on-leash, is beyond insulting. It's an outrage. What is going on here?
It's not just about dog parks
In many respects, we are making progress in our relationship with the animals in our lives. Across America, animal rights are taken increasingly seriously and there is a growing recognition of the profound benefits of the companionship of pets, particularly cats and dogs. Paradoxically, just as we are realizing the justice and the benefits of welcoming and respecting companion animals in our society, there are powerful forces working to marginalize and sequester dogs. People with dogs are denied access to accommodations, public spaces, and transportation. Breed-specific legislation and insurance exclusions fly in the face of our ideals of fair play and the presumption of innocence.
It takes a dog-friendly community
There are, of course, groups that try to fix our more egregious problems – abandoned, lost, and abused pets (both cats and dogs). Neutering, rehabilitation, fostering, and unfortunately euthanasia will remain unavoidable. However, the best solution is a pet-friendly culture. A great number of pets are abandoned simply because the owners find they have miscalculated their ability to care for them. They have to move, and find no pet-friendly apartments. They get pregnant, and are persuaded the pet will be a danger to the infant. They need to travel or are otherwise engaged for a brief time, and have no one to take care of their pet. They buy a puppy for their child, and find that the entire responsibility reverts to them. In every instance, a more pet-friendly environment could deter abandonment. Public school curricula about pet-ownership. Pet-daycare networks. More pet-friendly housing. What's needed is not just tolerance, but co-operation. Positive reinforcement. Remove the stress, and more people will find ways to keep their cherished companions.
What Ithaca needs is a commitment to dog-friendliness – not for our dogs, but for us. A community that welcomes dogs is a powerful magnet for new residents, tourists, and business. Dog-based tourism is itself a rapidly growing market, as more and more of us plan vacations where we can take our dogs, rather than leaving them behind. Ithaca could easily transform itself into a world-class dog-based tourism destination. It already has a high density of dog-friendly institutions, including Cornell Veterinary School, Tompkins County SPCA, Cornell Companions, Cayuga Dog Rescue, and TCDOG. Many hotels and B&B's welcome dogs. There are miles of hiking trails. Even the name "Ithaca" offers an opportunity: in Homer's Odyssey, when Odysseus returns to Ithaca in disguise after twenty years' absence, his long-suffering hound Argus recognizes him, wags his tail, and dies. I propose that we remove the "No Dogs" signs on The Commons and instead erect a sculpture of Odysseus' homecoming -- a fitting icon for a dog-friendly Ithaca. Expand the TCDOG Halloween party, create a summer-time Dog Days festival, and voilà, Dog-Friendly Ithaca Welcomes You!
Let's talk about it
On Saturday, April 22, from 9am to 7:15pm, there will be a conference at the Holiday Inn in downtown Ithaca. (Web site is www.ithacaconference.com) The theme is "Planning for a dog-friendly community," and representatives from concerned groups around the country will be participating. It's free, and open to the public. Let's talk about what we can do to make our community a better place to visit and a better place to live.
=================================
In the Ithaca Journal:
http://ithacajournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060421/OPINION02/604210326/1014/OPINION
Other letter:
http://ithacajournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060421/OPINION03/604210328/1014/OPINION
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