Proposed dog park won?t cause disruption at Lamson Woods

To the editor:

I would like to address some of the concerns that have arisen regarding the proposed dog park in the field at the entrance to the Lamson Woods wetlands.

Although the dog park will be utilized by many people, it has been shown in many other area dog parks that only two or three people and their dogs are likely to utilize the park at any given time throughout the day. Contrary to what some believe, dog owners will not be congregating en masse at the park. With daily availability of a dog park, we will trickle in from sun up to sun down, once a day or once a month, sometimes with friends, often alone, to allow our dogs to run free, chase Frisbees or tennis balls. 

A dog park will provide a much happier and calmer canine population in our town, rather than frustrated dogs that are unable to stretch their legs and enjoy the exercise they so desperately need; frustrated dogs that subsequently express their pent up energy through aggression and barking. Ideally, we would jog with our dogs, or walk a couple of miles two or three times daily, but many of us are aging baby boomers with bad knees or arthritis and just can?t otherwise provide our dogs the amount of exercise they need to maintain a happy, healthy lifestyle.  

Occasionally, many dog owners and their pets have come together for a ?Bark in the Park? special event, lasting only an hour or two, once or twice every month or so. These events have proven that bringing many dogs together off leash in one confined area works wonderfully well, without fights, virtually no barking or disturbing the surrounding neighbors. All solid waste was removed immediately, and the area was left without evidence that dogs had even been there.

Most of the dog owners in town have proven themselves to be responsible; the concern that the dog waste will drain into and pollute the nearby creek is unfounded. Those that are less likely to pick up their dog?s waste are less likely to care enough to take them to a dog park.

Since most dog owners will not be at the dog park at the same time, the owners will not be filling up the parking area or creating significantly additional traffic as is feared, nor will we require restroom facilities ? no more so than we would if we were walking our dogs on the current hiking/biking paths or sidewalks around town. None of us are likely to stay at the dog parks long enough to necessitate these extra facilities. A good half hour to an hour at the park and our dogs will be very happy, and the owners ready to go home. 

My family and I have walked through Lamson Park frequently in the last 20 years, and have seen very few people enjoying this field that are not accompanied by their dogs. And a few dogs confined to the field will not disturb the wildlife in the woods or wetlands. 

Yes, the field at Lamson Woods is beautiful. But there are many beautiful spots in Fairfield and the surrounding area for us humans to enjoy, and after exhaustive research there has been no other suitable area found to be available for an off-leash park. 

Please understand the need that our dogs have for this park and for the benefits it provides the humans whose lives are enhanced by our dogs. Please be generous to your friends, neighbors and fellow citizens, and allow Fairfield to have this community improvement, which has been shown to be an enhancement to nearby towns, and which will improve the quality of life in Fairfield.?

? Wendy Read, Fairfield