Last night's Wednesday line up at Lower Merion Township was interesting on many levels....And that doesn't include trapping kitties for being outside - cats not for nothing do serve a purpose when hunting mice and vermin outside....But what was truly fascinating were the large throng of folks who turned out to bark at the Board of Commissioners over what can only be assumed is enforcement of leash laws.

A lot of the yapping started when Mike Weilbacher wrote an editorial about dogs off lead at Rolling Hill. Don't nip at our heels, but he has a point.

And that is the problem: for every responsible dog owner there is an irresponsible one who not only can't control their dog off lead around other dogs, but around humans as well. Not all of us out there are comfortable with dogs, and it can be very frightening to small children to encounter a large dog, or any dog for that matter... And then there are those dog owners who think it is the responsibility of other people to clean up poop. (And that is a valid issue with dogs parks is dogs passing viruses, etc to each other through contact as well as left over poop on the ground)

So last night all these dog owners showed up to nip at the heels of the board of commissioners. Would they ALL be so passionate about other issues that are far more pressing.

And no, we aren't saying it wouldn't be nice to have a dedicated dog park, but on some levels, some of these dog owners need to realize that the reason Mike wrote his editorial is because not all dog owners are responsible. For years, especially at Rolling Hill Park, a blind eye was turned to dogs off lead because it wasn't abused and people knew, that much like walking a dog at Haverford College, it is a privilege NOT a right to be there with your dog.

It has nothing to do with horse owners getting preferential treatment over dog owners. Of all the absurdity! Look around people! How many horses do we have left? Where horses once nibbled on grass in fields is now planted with McMansions. You want more horses? Head to Radnor Hunt before that area is all planted with McMansions.

Suffice it to say, some of the dog owners acted like they needed a rabies shot, and we'll say it again where are all these people the rest of the time?

Another weird thing was at the end of the dog discussion debacle was a mention of Bruce Reed about the potential of eminent domain for public purpose with some cemetary land for this also having to do with the trail down at Bala? Hmmmmm....so they would exercise eminent domain for public purpose so a bunch of people could let their dogs run free and not break a sweat? Is that also another question with regard to the MANY questions about trails? Interesting.

A simple solution? Why not just fence off a couple of large dog runs/pens in existing parks? But, if that is done, there needs to be some sort of ground rules established.

So here is some of the barking in the paper:

Letters to the Editor

Dogs need a place to run
To the Editor:
I read with some amazement and amusement Mike Weilbacher's Opinion piece on dogs in township parks in your April 17, 2008 edition. Of course, a dog owner should control his dog and not abuse anyone that is placed into the situation of having to control his dog for him. I got a kick out of Mike saying that he is not against dogs - in fact one of his best friends is a dog (funny!).

However, Mike never addresses the obvious need in this township - a secure and controlled park where dogs can be permitted to run freely and interact with other dogs while off leash.....It is nice that we have purchased large swatches of open land for passive use for wild animals and bird watchers, but we can not keep ignoring that on average one third of all households own at least one dog.
....Kenneth E. Aaron,Wynnewood

Be responsible for your dog and to fellow humans
To the Editor:
In response to the discussion about dogs off the leash at Rolling Hill: I live with four indoor-only cats. I like dogs too, but for lifestyle and other reasons will not live with one.

I feel strongly that cats and dogs are the responsibility of their caregivers, and that the hunting, wandering and pooping & peeing behaviors of cats and dogs should never be forced on others.....I have neighbor friends who allow their dogs (on the leash even) to walk through my garden and pee on my flowers and vegetables. They allow their dogs to pee and poop on my little lawn. They unleash their dogs to run on school property (despite the posted signs restricting dogs). They unleash their dogs to run at Shortridge and other parks, unconcerned that a fellow park user may be uncomfortable with or afraid of dogs.

Dog urine “burns” lawns through the high concentration of nitrogen. Dog and cat feces carry parasites that could contaminate untreated water supplies and food grown in the garden.

...Beth Warren,Merion

Time for LM to designate an off-leash dog park
To the Editor:

I am deeply disturbed by Mike Weilbacher's opinion article, “Lower Merion Township Parks are Going to the Dogs.” As a taxpaying citizen of Lower Merion Township, I am saddened that those of us with canine companions do not have any place to go (legally) in Lower Merion to give our pets the off-leash exercise that they need. These animals are domesticated but still have a need for exercise beyond that which can possibly be achieved from walking on a leash. This exercise enables them to be calm, well-behaved companions.

Mr. Weilbacher refers, in his column, to “large packs of poorly trained off-leash dogs,” and I beg to differ with this opinion. One might think, from reading his viewpoint, that these are stray dogs permitted to wonder without supervision....

...Since there are, apparently, so many dog owners, isn't it time for this township to designate an off-leash dog park? Radnor Township has done this quite successfully. Come on Lower Merion Township, wake up and meet the needs of your residents.

Jennie Nemroff ,Wynnewood

Shame on the dog owner who ruined it for others

To the Editor:

I am writing this letter in response to the article written in the Main Line Times regarding Rolling Hill Park. I am the proud owner of two golden retrievers. As a relative newcomer to the park, I was happy to find a place that I could go and socialize with others while letting my dogs have some freedom. Although I haven't been there a great deal, each time I have visited, I have only seen responsible dog owners and their dogs.

As soon as I read the article I knew that it was the end of Rolling Hill Park as we dog owners know it. I was absolutely appalled at the behavior of this dog owner described in the article. Had it been my dogs that disturbed a group of nursery school children, I would have been incredibly embarrassed and deeply apologetic.....I can say to them, “Shame on you. You have ruined it for the rest of us.”

Barb Clark,Narberth

Woof! Read on Astro:

Susan Greenspon: Dog owners, follow the leash rules in LM

...As long as Fluffy and Fido are well fed and happy, then that's a problem we all can control.

We bring to you this example of America's passion for its pets for a reason. At the Main Line Times, few local issues have triggered so much response as Mike Weilbacher's April 17 column about our parks "going to the dogs."

Indignant dog owners can't seem to understand why the rest of us don't love their pooches as much as they do. How dare someone suggest that, despite a rule that all dogs be leashed in Rolling Hill Park, they can't continue their rituals of letting their animals blast untethered through the brush, plunge into Mill Creek for a swim, and void on every bush and blade of grass in the 103-acre natural area? Isn't this what they pay taxes for?

Weilbacher, Lower Merion Conservancy director and a dog owner himself, made the point that humans' needs really should trump dogs' needs in such Lower Merion parks as Rolling Hill.

Adults and children who go to enjoy bird watching, take a serene stroll or participate in an educational outing often are subjected to dogs running amok, muddy and exuberent. Rolling Hill Park is a natural area, and wildlife, such as ground nesting birds, are disturbed by romping dogs. Weilbacher has even seen a woodchuck attacked and devoured by a dog right before his eyes.

Yet, word-of-mouth that Rolling Hill is dog-friendly seems to have spread like the poison ivy that creeps across its forest floor. In the past few years, the park has become a haven for all sizes, shapes and expensive breeds of domestic dogs. Even this dog owner, who didn't see any leash-rule signs, guiltily admits to hiking there on a recent spring day with my unleashed golden retriever.

Sure, it's great to get back to nature with our four-legged pals, but the awful truth, fellow dog-lovers, is that it's not legal anywhere in Lower Merion Township to let them off leash.

Now that we've all been reminded, let's try to do the right thing.

On leash, dogs are more than welcome at a number of our parks. According to the township Web site, West Mill Creek Park, Pencoyd and Rolling Hill parks are among them. In other parks, such as South Ardmore, dogs are completely restricted, and signs warn of fines of up to a $600 if you break the law.

Yet even the most prominently posted signs often seem to be ignored, which puts responsible dog owners in a bad light.

Take the obvious "NO DOGS" sign at the entrance of Harriton High School's brand new turf field where, on Sunday, several parents walked their pooches right past it to watch their daughters play lacrosse. Yes, the dogs were leashed, but how does one explain the man strolling his two little critters inside the field's perimeter, where the real grass grows, presumably so they could do their business. Hello, kids use every part of this otherwise pristine playing field.

We all know dogs need their exercise and we sure do love to watch Fido fly, but an outing with our pets shouldn't involve breaking the law...

Dogged by LM leash laws
Dog owners just want a legal place for their pooches to run
By Richard Ilgenfritz

LOWER MERION - For the past several years, Eva Chirapongse of Merion has been bringing her two dogs, Morgan, a border collie, and Brownie, a half Yorkie and half Chihuahua, to the grounds of the Merion Tribute House.Morgan chases after a tennis ball and brings it back, lays it at Chirapongse's foot, then lies down on her stomach, waiting patiently for the next throw. All the while, Brownie is content to sit back and watch as Morgan plays.

"I live about a block and a half from here, and for a while, they weren't letting us come over here," Chirapongse said.

Like many open areas around the township, the grounds are a popular location for pet owners to bring their dogs and allow them to run around, often without leashes.

"When we first moved here about seven years ago, we used to go over to Shortridge Park [in Wynnewood]. But then they clamped down on that," Chirapongse says.

Like many dog owners, she finds parks and other spaces that aren't used a lot and lets her dogs run there. Whenever there are events at the Tribute house, though, she immediately takes the dogs away so as not to disturb anyone.

Could there be a park in Lower Merion that the dogs can call their own?