Dear Mr. Levy,

    I am writing this letter regarding an incident that occurred on Sunday, Feb 5th at Coindre Hall in Huntington. Just before noon a Suffolk County Parks Policeman pulled into the parking lot. He seemed quite agitated and repeated a few times "I hate this". After we asked him if he hated the idea of giving out tickets to dog owners he said that it was the fact that dog owners had their dogs off-leash that he hated. He said he was warning us that he would be coming back to the park every day to issue tickets until dog owners stopped coming there with their dogs off leash. He then drove down to the foot of the property where two people witnessed him pulling out his night stick at dog owners. He then drove back up to the parking lot and told one of the officers for LI-DOG that "This Means War". LI-DOG was having one its "Clean Up The Park" days so a few us happened to be there with a table to provide coffee and snacks for the volunteers.

    It appeared that this particular officer seemed to have a personal vendetta against the dog owners there. We were as nice as possible in our conversations with him. I don't have any problems with an officer doing his job but I believe they should make every effort not to escalate the situation. Unfortunately that task fell to us. I do not believe that he acted appropriately in dealing with the dog owners who are only trying to do right by their dogs by giving them the exercise and socialization that they need.

    I further believe that this incident underscores the sorry state of affairs for the taxpaying citizens of Suffolk County who realize the benefit of giving their dogs proper exercise and socialization, but who are given a terribly inadequate amount of land on which to do so. Coindre Hall has become popular because people hear what a great experience it is to get together with fellow dog owners and watch their canine best friends run and play with other dogs. More dog parks are desperately needed in order to take the pressure off Coindre.

    When I visit my family with my dog in Florida, I am able to choose from seven dog parks within the city of Tampa, and six dog parks in St. Petersburg and these are very nice facilities with many amenities for the owners and their dogs. On the city of Tampa's website they state that "The city of Tampa's goal is to become a leader in quality Leash-Free Zones and a model for the rest of the state." Oh, if only that was the position of leaders and the parks department on Long Island. Why couldn't it be the goal of the Parks Department to provide quality Leash-Free Zones along with the list of activities they promote within the Suffolk County Parks system. We are taxpaying citizens and according to statistics approximately 45% of us own dogs. In virtually all cities that have dog parks, animal control officers report that it makes their jobs much easier. They don't have to worry about people taking their dogs to school playgrounds and other places where they are not supposed to be, and they report fewer problems with dog waste as peer pressure is very strong to clean up after your dog and people just get used to doing it.

    I am going to include a list of reasons below that illustrate why I believe dog parks and Coindre Hall are so important to dog owners.

• Animal behaviorists and dog trainers universally recognize and recommend that it is vitally important for dogs to be given adequate exercise and socialization in order for them to become well adjusted members of society.
• Responsible dog owners who really care about their dogs are discovering across the country that the best way to do this is to bring them to a park where they can meet, socialize, and play with other dogs.
• Dog owners who do this end up with dogs that are well behaved, and a pleasure to be with. Dog owners who don't, often end up surrendering their dogs to a shelter system in which 4 to 5 millions dogs are euthanized every year.
• It is not possible for dogs to run and play with each other while attached to a leash. It would only result in a tangled mess of dogs and people.
• People have been bringing their dogs to Coindre Hall for twenty-eight years, which makes it a well-established practice.
• On June 27th of 2003 a bill was signed into law creating a dog run at Coindre Hall with County Executive Robert Gaffney and Suffolk County Legislator Jon Cooper attending. It is not our fault that no facility has been built for us by 2006.
• Coindre Hall has been a wonderful place for dog owners to meet. People from all walks of life have formed meaningful friendships that would never have occurred if it were not for such a place. It is hard to imagine a better use of the Suffolk County Park System than to provide a place where such a sense of community can be formed.
• The dog owners who go to Coindre are responsible citizens who watch over and pick up after their dogs. We also have clean-up parties where we pick up litter and any dog waste that may have been missed by other dog owners.
• The rest of the country is far ahead of Long Island on this issue. Most cities' now have multiple dog parks for their taxpaying citizens to go to.
• It is not fair that only one tiny parcel of land is provided for all of Suffolk County's dog owning residents to exercise their dogs. We are in a Catch-22. We know that our dogs need adequate exercise and socialization but almost no land is provided for us in which to legally do so.

    I am asking you to give this issue serious consideration. It is time for Suffolk County to catch up to the rest of the country in recognizing the value of Off-Leash Recreational Areas to the taxpaying dog owners of Suffolk County.

    I would also ask that the Park Police at least act courteous in their dealings with the dog owners at Coindre Hall. We have been working responsibly with local officials and the Citizens Advisory Committee to resolve this issue for the benefit of all concerned for some time now.

    Sincerely,

    M M