Bugsy’s Dog Run (May 2014, after it rained)
Sept. 4, 2014 By Michael Florio
A group of Astoria residents are calling on the Parks Dept. and Councilman Costa Constantides to find space for a quality dog run.
The group has put together an online petition calling for the construction of a dog run in the neighborhood, citing how the current public spaces for dogs are inadequate. The petition has already generated more than 250 signatures.
The petition—officially addressed to Constantinides and the Parks Dept– states that the off-leash hours in Astoria Park are inconvenient and that the “Bugsy’s Dog Run,” which is located nearby at 12-10 Astoria Park South, is not up to standard.
Some residents have gone to Yelp to review the dog run, which has a rating of 2.5 out of five stars. One reviewer complained about rusty, broken down fences and sharp rocks that cut paws.
The petition, which states that Long Island City has several high-quality dog runs, has already generated a response from Constantinides.
“Astoria residents should have a place to take their dogs to get exercise and run around outdoors,” Constantinides said in a statement.
“As a longtime animal lover and dog owner, I know the importance of having controlled and well-maintained places for our pets to run freely and safely,” he added. “We are in the early stages of researching this issue and are considering possible locations for a good dog run in Astoria.”
The petition can be found by clicking here.
Featured Events
6 Comments
Mr. Constantinides,
We understand that there are many people with many different needs in a community as large as Astoria. Will the proposed building of a dog run endanger the very important and popular off-leash hours so many responsible dog owners have come to enjoy and rely on for their dogs who are old enough and well trained enough to use? Will the large and growing constituency of dog owners in Astoria be able to have the best of both worlds? Depending on the size of the run, an enclosed space can lead to altercations. Enough space needs to be allocated to segregate small dogs-why? Dog owners must be extra vigilant in dog runs, since space is limited and some dogs become territorial. Will toys need to be banned because some dogs get possesive over them which means one can’t play fetch with your dog. What provisions will be guaranteed for adequate cleaning of the surface since we believe that anything other than concrete cannot be thorouhly cleaned, since our dogs come away smelling of urine and potentially carrying diseases. We will be happy to discuss these questions with you in person.
@David
Excellent idea.
That grass area is a soccer field for kids and adults
Theres an already fenced space between the tennis courts and the bridge in Astoria park that’s currently not being used for anything else.
How about the massive, unused grass lawn in front of ConEd?
Yay! We are just as deserving of quality dog runs/parks as Brooklyn and Manhattan. Let me know how to help!