WEST LOOP — After signs displaying Mary Bartelme Park's dog rules were trashed over the weekend, some West Loop dog owners are proposing a compromise with the park's advisory council.
Contending that the park's rules banning dogs from urinating and defecating on grassy areas are too strict, some dog owners are pitching a solution that would allow dogs to use one grassy area of the park, and designate a second hill in the park as "humans only."
On Friday, new signs were installed in the park warning dog owners about the park's dog poop rules. Before Saturday morning, someone tossed the signs in the trash.
The signs were installed Friday in an effort to curb the park's ongoing dog poop problems.
Stephanie Lulay says in the relatively small park, waste piles up:
Dogs now are allowed on grassy areas with their owners, but the pooches are not allowed to urinate or defecate on the park's lawn, according to Armando Chacon, vice president of the park's advisory council. While he understands accidents happen, the rule aims to stop the irresponsible dog owners who fail to pick up after their pets, Chacon said.
In nature areas of the park, dogs are banned altogether.
So, where are West Loop dogs supposed to do their business? In Bartelme Park's fenced-in, designated dog area, Chacon said.
But the cement enclosure doesn't work for all dogs, said resident Stephanie Turner, who has lived in the neighborhood for 15 years. Her 3-year-old Brittany border collie, Moxie, has never been inside the park's designated dog area.
Turner said other dogs have been attacked in the park's designated dog area off-leash, and she won't risk her own pet's health.
"Sometimes there are 30 dogs in there, and that's just too many," she said. "And my dog won't 'go' on concrete. I've maybe seen my dog 'go' on pavement five times."
Instead, Turner and other dog owners who frequent the park have suggested designating a portion of the grassy area in the park as a "dogs-allowed area" and another portion as "just for humans."
Chacon said the board might be open to that idea, but he didn't see the designations as solving the existing problem.
"I just don't think that is going to solve the problem. If I knew [all dog owners] were going to honor that, I would support it," Chacon said.
Social media shaming?
Some West Loop residents say bad dog owners won't abandon their behavior until they face the ultimate punishment — public shaming.
After signs disappeared from the park, the owner of the Twitter account @West_Looper posted Saturday: "Dear dog owners who won't follow the rules — your picture will be appearing here."
In an effort to tackle the problem, Ald. Danny Solis (25th) has suggested his own solutions, too, including installing cameras to catch owners who fail to clean up their dog's doo. The alderman will ask police to ticket irresponsible dog owners if necessary, he has said.
For now, Chacon said the park's advisory council will regroup to discuss the next course of action.
Bartelme Park's dog-related problems aren't new. In January, the park's board worked to address an "overwhelming" number of complaints after rogue dog owners were increasingly bucking the park's rules on pet poop and allowing their dogs to roam off-leash, according to Scott Maesel, president of the park's advisory council.
Posted on grassy areas of the park's lawn, the signs posted Friday read: "Pet waste transmits disease. No urinating or defecating in this area at any time." In nature areas of the park, the signs read: "Pet waste destroys the nature area. No dogs allowed in this area at any time!"
Chicago Park District signs posted on light poles reading "dogs allowed in dog area only," already line the park.
Under city ordinance, owners who fail to clean up their pet's poop face a $50 to $500 ticket for each offense, unless the dog owner is legally blind.
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