Community Board Bans Dogs From Public Park But Final Decision Is In Parks Department's Hands
NEW YORK(CBSNewYork) -- A push is underway to ban dogs from a public park because some people believe that they are making too much of a mess.
"They gave me filthy looks and they stood there and they stared at me until i left the park," dog owner Krista Martino told CBS 2's Amy Dardashtian.
Martino claims that she is the victim of intimidation tactics by New Yorkers who want to mark their territory so dogs can't mark theirs in Delury Square Park on Fulton Street.
"The residents take care of the par, I can appreciate that. I respect that. I'm just walking him through, he's not using the bathroom," Martino said.
Leashed dogs are allowed to walk through the park, according to Parks Department rules, but they are not allowed on the lawn. Now, a group has posted signs telling dog owners to keep their pets out, and that the local community board has passed a resolution making the park 'dog free'.
Dog owners have called the move by 'Friends Of Delury Park' extreme.
"This is like some sort of Gestapo tactic," said Jonathan Herzog, "One woman, I'm just walking him through, okay, nothing else, and starts screaming at me that she's gonna call the police, and that I have no right to be in here with the dog."
Residents of the neighboring Southbridge Towers told CBS 2 that they invest time and money into caring for the park and that dogs are doing it dirty.
"People eat lunch in there, they play checkers, they play chess. You don't want a smell of urine around," said Anthony Romano.
The decision is now in the hands of the Parks Department who will rule on whether the park will be made 'Dog-Free'.
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