To: PamLex5@aol.com
From: dogadmin@clarkdogpaw.org
Reply-To: PamLex5@aol.com
Subject: [DOGPAW] Upcoming events and Dog Park tips

A reminder about upcoming events:
    Oct  27    Everything in the Ark    Adoption event, fundraiser for rescue 
groups and Dog Costume contest
    Nov 10    Fur Ball    Fundraiser for Second Chance Companions
   
Visit the Dogpaw website at _www.clarkdogpaw.org_ 
(http://www.clarkdogpaw.org)  for more details    
 
 
There have been several instances recently of fights at the parks where dogs 
have been seriously hurt and this is the last thing any of us from Dogpaw want 
to see.  We work very hard to create safe and clean places for dogs to be off 
leash, but the reality is that anywhere you have a large collection of dogs, 
there is potential for trouble.  We must depend on ourselves and each other to 
help manage this problem because we cannot depend on Animal Control to 
respond in a timely manner to problems at the park.  They are simply stretched to 
thin, in part due to the lack of people who bother to get their pets licensed.  
It is the law to have your pets licensed and those fees go to support Animal 
Control.  We recently had an issue of 2 lost, aggressive dogs at Pacific and 
when we called Animal Control to report this urgent situation, they told us it 
could be 3 hours before they could get there.
 
If Dogpaw cannot continue to operate these parks in a safe manner, we will 
cease to exist- which will dramatically affect the likelihood of there being off 
leash parks in Vancouver. We must depend on the members of Dogpaw to step up 
and help us keep the parks safe.  We have created a place on our web site 
_www.clarkdogpaw.org_ (http://www.clarkdogpaw.org)  under Parks, then Rules and 
Tips, where we are putting info on matters of dog park behavior.  We suggest 
that you all review this info and please feel free to refer others in the park, 
who may need some help, to visit our website.
 
A couple key points are:
    -do not "clump" in groups either sitting or standing for an extended 
period of time.  A group of dogs can see this as their "territory" and will 
attempt to defend it if a new dog wanders near. 
    -Watch your dog closely for signs of fear or aggressive behavior so you 
can intervene before trouble starts.  No dog should be humping another because 
this is a sign of dominance.
    -Allow dogs to safely enter the park by keeping your dog clear of the 
gate area.
    -Use the double gate system to leash or unleash your dog in the center 
area, so that dogs enter the park off leash to equal the playing field.  A dog 
on a leash may feel more  insecure and therefore more aggressive and other dogs 
may try to dominate dogs who are on leash.   
 
We are very fortunate to have these amazing places so we all MUST take part 
in making sure they stay safe.  In Portland, as in most cities, the parks are 
usually an acre or two, but because of the volunteer efforts of Dogpaw, the 
citizens of Vancouver have the great fortune to enjoy much larger spaces. 
 
Let's all work together to keep Vancouvers' Dogpaw parks safe and clean!!



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