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When Winnie and Arnold bought their house at the end of a cul-de-sac in
1980, they thought they had died and gone to heaven. There were only four houses
on the street. Between their house and their neighbor’s house was a dirt
pathway. The path led to a city-owned dog park, where dog owners could let their
dogs run free. But there was no parking lot for dog owners’ cars. Dog owners had
to park on the street, and then walk their dogs to the leash-free park.
In 1980 no one seemed to know about the park. The only people who used it
were the people who lived in the neighborhood. The neighbors used to joke that
they had their own private dog park.
Those were the good old days. Things have changed. The park has become like
California in the Gold Rush days. Everyone knows about it. A dog may be man’s
best friend, but 1,000 dogs certainly are not.
Over the years, the neighborhood association, consisting of about 70 houses
nearest to the park, has begged the city council to reduce park hours. It is
open from 7:00 to 7:00 seven days a week. But some dog owners actually arrive at
6:00, saying that they needed to beat the rush. To save walking distance, others
park in neighborhood driveways. Others bring boom boxes and play music loudly in
the park. Others knock on neighborhood doors and ask to use the bathroom.
Weekends are even worse than weekdays. Whole families spend the day with their
dogs. People, dogs, noise, and trash are everywhere.
“We’re stuck here,” said Arnold. “I’ve been trying to sell my place for
five years. But when buyers see all this dog traffic, they take off running.
What a joke. This place was heaven when we first moved here. Now it’s hell.”
The city council has ignored the neighborhood association’s pleas for help.
A council member said, “We have to meet the public demand. This no-leash park is
very popular. I’m sorry, but if the homeowners don’t like it, they can always
move. This is a free country, you know.” |
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发表于 2016-7-10 09:21:21