3 posts tagged “charleston”
Earlier this year (amid some fuss from a few people that City Council didn't have anything better to do), Charleston City Council saw fit to amend the city's leash ordinances, which become effective March 1, 2009.
Significantly, the new ordinances remove the provision that allowed animals to run at large as long as they were under voice control. Now animals must be under physical control or leashed, with a maximum leash length of 16 ft (~4.8m).
Further, the new ordinance gets more specific about where animals can and can't be.
No person owning or having possession, charge, custody or control of any animal shal cause, permit or allow the animal to stra or in any manner to run at large in or upon any public street, sidewalk, athletic field, athletic facility, or park or upon the property of another, if such animal is not under a physical restraint or a leash so as to allow the animal to be controlled.
No animal of any kind shall be permitted on any tennis court, fenced recreation field, or athletic field at any time, even if such animal is physically restrained, leashed or otherwise controlled.
Fortunately, the city has opened up several areas as off-leash areas in addition to the three existing city operated dog parks (with possibly more dog parks to come).
- Ansonborough Field, Concord Street (All day)
- Brittlebank Park, Lockwood Blvd. (All day)
- Cannon Park, Calhoun Street (Restricted hours)
- Governors Park, Seven Farms Drive (All day)
- Hazel Parker Playground, East Bay Street (Restricted hours)
- The Horse Lot, Chisolm Street (All day)
- Johns Island Park, Rewes Lane (All day)
- Lenevar Playground, Lenevar Drive (All day)
- West Ashley Park, Mary Ader Avenue (All day)
- White Point Garden, Murray Blvd. (Restricted hours)
While in dog runs or off-leash areas, animals are required to remain under sufficient strict voice control, and handlers must abide by the rules posted at each site. Owners are reminded that they are required to clean up after their pets. During the first two weeks of March, the City's Animal Control officers will be focused on educating off-leash area users. Afterwards, violators will be subject to fines for violations.
That means watch your dog, control your dog, and pick up after your dog.
On the first visit to the Hazel Parker dog park, I discovered it was still being worked on. Today (being the first day of vacation), I decided to head back over there and see what progress had been made.
The dog park is open now, and doesn't really look much different than when I was there last, aside from having operational dog-lock gates. They aren't latched though, but that may just be a temporary thing. Several benches strategically located underneath the trees provide a spot for people to sit and relax, and over in the corner is a water fountain.
Although the park is fairly long, it would still be pretty easy to throw a ball too far and out of the dog park, especially with the aid of a Chuck-it. The park would be very well suited for smaller dogs and dogs that aren't that much into running around. People with more active dogs would probably find more satisfaction (as would their dogs) heading to one of the larger dog parks like the one at Hampton Park or James Island County Park.
The dog park at James Island County Park is what I would consider the crown jewel of CCPRC's three dog parks.
The JICP dog park is the largest of all the dog parks located in the Charleston area, providing ample space for dogs to run around in and perhaps best of all, a lake for dogs to go swimming in.
Two beach areas provide plenty of room for dogs to run around and jump into the water. On hot days, the lake is where you'll find most of the dogs.
Two dog lock style gates for entering and exiting the park provide for smooth flow. A water fountain to the left of the gates as you enter provides water (although most dogs will just end up drinking from the lake anyway) and there's also a hose so you can hose down a muddy dog. A couple of picnic tables and the retaining wall provide a spot for people to sit down, and for some of the dogs, a bit of shade. While the dog park isn't fenced in, trees and bushes lining the perimeter of the park and the lake serve as natural barriers, although some especially motivated dogs have been known to escape the park by swimming across the lake.
Admission to JICP is $1/person, but once you're in you can avail yourself of the dog park and all the other facilities contained within the park. The dog park is the only area where dogs are allowed off leash though, so if you decide to go for a walk around the rest of the park, you'll have to put Fido back on the leash.
One of the main disadvantages of the dog park is the lack of any kind of shelter or shade. If you're there on a hot sunny day, you'd better have plenty of sun screen on. A walk through the water helps cool off the feet, but you'll have to be on the look out for dogs barrelling by, and prepare to get wet from dogs shaking off. However, if things get too hot, you can always head out and go for a walk along the many miles of shaded trails within the park and then head back for more dog park fun.
A piece of advice before going to this dog park: make sure you have a reasonably reliable recall on your dog before going. The park is a really fun place for dogs to go, and sometimes they can be reluctant to leave. If you don't have a good recall on your dog, then you're liable to end up chasing your dog around trying to catch him long after you originally planned to leave.
