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The Parks and Recreation Department of Beverly has proposed an ordinance change which would ban dogs from Lynch Park. Such an ordinance change must be approved by the City Council. The City Council has called a public meeting for this evening in conjunction with the Public Services and Aid Committee to hear from the Parks and Recreation Commission, the City Solicitor, the Animal Control Officer, the Department of Public Health, and the citizens of the city and their representatives.
The Parks and Recreation Department has expressed concerns about the amount of dog feces that collects at the park, and about dogs allowed to run off leash. Existing regulations require owners to pick up after their dogs, and to keep dogs leashed. Apparently enforcement of these regulations has been beyond the capacity of the single Animal Control Officer employed by the city.
A group of concerned responsible dog owners has been hastily assembled to work together with the Parks and Recreation Department and the Animal Control Officer to find mutually agreeable solutions to the problems presented by those park visitors who do not comply with the parks regulations regarding pet privileges. Spokespersons for the newly formed Beverly Animal Resources Committee (BARC) have expressed their concerns for the cleanliness and safety of the park if dogs and their owners are banned permanently. BARC member Wayne Miller states, "It is the shared desire of all of us that our Park be clean and safe. If all dogs and their owners are absent from Lynch Park, there is a good possibility that vandalism, littering, damage to vegetation, and illicit activities will increase. Dog owners are very protective of the Park. We constantly monitor, and often intervene when we witness activities that are destructive to the Park."
BARC has issued a provisional mission statement indicating the group's desire to promote and protect the interests of responsible dog owners, function as liaison between pet owners and the safety, support and assist the Animal Control Officer, and ensure access to parks through cooperative efforts to keep them clean and safe. BARC member Matthew Bangert notes, " I would like to point out that in the last few weeks the park has been almost entirely free of dog contaminants. This is not the result of
an absence of dogs, but rather of a renewed focus on the problem by
dog owners concerned with the loss of the privilege of walking their
dogs at the park. The Park is now clean not because every dog owner picks up after their dog, but because most do, and because enough dog owners pick up after others. We want to continue to enjoy the Park with our dogs. We want to keep the Park clean and safe. We've just proven that we can do it."
BARC may be contacted at barc@email.com or fax 888-826-1978.
Tonight's forum will be a public meeting open to all concerned citizens. The meeting will be held at the Beverly Senior Citizen's Center at 7:00 p.m. A capacity crowd is expected.
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