Seattle only has 14 off leash dog parks, far fewer than most other cities, including Portland and San Francisco. Image from Seattle Parks Department.
Last week I wrote that Seattle Parks and Recreation is asking Seattle dog owners to take an online survey to help it develop an Off-leash Area (OLA) Strategic Plan which “will guide the operations of existing OLAs, explore alternative service models and create a strategy for the potential acquisition and development of future OLAs.”
Yesterday KING 5 ran a story about the survey and interviewed Ellen Escarcega, chair of Citizens for Off-Leash Areas (COLA) about the survey. She noted that “many of Seattle’s newcomers move into high rises where there are few, if any, outdoor spaces for dogs and they are increasingly relying on public parks for relief and exercise.”
Escarcega also noted that as the population grows “Seattle Parks and Recreation, which oversees off-leash areas, has struggled to keep up with dog owners’ needs.”
Considering Amazon alone could increase the number of employees it has in Seattle from 24,000 to over 70,000 in the next few years, the need for more off-leash dog parks will surely skyrocket.
Seattle Parks deserves kudos for reaching out to dog owners to get our input on off-leash areas in the city and using it to guide its decisions on including dog parks.
Now it’s our responsibility to fill out the survey and let it know your opinion regarding the need for more off-leash dog areas in Seattle.
Click here to go to the survey on Seattle Parks and Recreation’s website.
Here’s the story from KING 5:
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