CHICAGO — As dog owners Downtown push back against a Park District decree that pups will be banned from the new Maggie Daley Park, one notable dog-lover — Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) — voiced his feelings on the matter in a weekly newsletter to his ward, where he said he was "disappointed" by the news.
"Given my history defending Grant Park, and ensuring it remains 'forever open, clear and free' — I'm disappointed in the Park District's decision," Reilly wrote in an email to his constituents Wednesday.
Reilly said he's received numerous inquiries from residents wondering the about the status of dogs in Maggie Daley Park and the recently renovated Peanut Park in Grant Park. In 2012, the Chicago Park District said leashed dogs would be allowed in Maggie Daley Park, but the agency later reversed the decision just weeks before the park opened.
"As the proud owner of two dogs (Buster and Max), I am very sympathetic to concerns about prohibiting dogs in the northern portion of Grant Park," Reilly wrote in the newsletter.
Hundreds of Downtown residents have pushed back against the decision, including more than 900 people who signed an online petition opposing the dog ban.
Reilly has asked the Park District to reverse its decision and "allow leashed dogs to be permitted on the pedestrian paths in Maggie Daley Park and Peanut Park," he said.
Reilly encouraged concerned citizens to contact Michael Kelly, CEO of the Chicago Park District, and Dr. Bryan Traubert, president of the board of commissioners, and asked residents to "be sure to copy Mayor Emanuel and me on all correspondence so that I may follow up with Park District leadership on your behalf."
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