It's estimated that at least 500,000 Suffolk County residents own a dog. Suffolk dog owners come from every community, every walk of life, and every demographic group in our great County. Many of them live in the 17th legislative district where I live and where I am currently seeking office in the County Legislature. While the County maintains more than 40,000 acres of beautiful parkland, I know that families with dogs have very limited ability to enjoy this great resource with their beloved pets. In most cases, dog owners are restricted to limited areas of our parks and they must have their dogs on a leash at all times. The one exception right now is a very small, fenced dog run in West Hills County Park where dog owners can let their canine companions run off-leash.

    In recent years, animal care professionals from across the country, ranging from veterinarians to trainers, have become strong proponents of dog parks and other off-leash areas where dogs can run and get exercise and socialization. Dogs that are able to run and play in a safe and legal off-leash area are healthier, better behaved members of our communities. And, because they are better exercised and better socialized, they are less likely to be turned into one of our animal shelters where far too many animals end their lives.

    In the last several years, it has become clear to an increasing number of American towns and counties that providing off-leash recreation opportunities for families with dogs is as valid an exercise as providing space for hiking, biking, golfing, horseback riding, or any other activity in which people participate in our parks. The hundreds of dog parks, dog runs and other off-leash areas that have been created have proved to be relatively inexpensive to create and maintain and extremely popular with residents.

    Right now, in Suffolk County, there is only one legal off-leash area for families with dogs. While two other dog parks have been approved, only the small existing dog run at West Hills is built. That means dog owners from all over the county are coming to this one dog run looking for a safe and legal space to exercise and socialize their dogs, only to find that the run is just too small to meet their needs. I strongly believe that Suffolk County needs to expeditiously increase the number of dog runs, starting with West Hills.

    If I am elected, I will move quickly to sponsor the creation of a larger dog run at West Hills County Park. Given the size of the park, finding a suitable location for a big, beautiful off-leash area for dog owners and their dogs should not be a problem. And I will be a strong proponent for the creation of additional off-leash areas throughout our park system. I look forward to and would be proud to work with LI-DOG, my colleagues on the Suffolk County Legislature, County Executive Steven Levy, and Parks Commissioner Ron Foley in making this happen for the many thousands of our citizens who own dogs and need safe and legal places to exercise them.

    If you would like to contact Lou D'Amaro you can call his campaign office at (631) 630-2780 or e-mail him at: info@damaroforlegislature.com

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