04/14/07
Statement By LI-DOG President At Press Conference
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Dog Park Press Conference My name is Ginny Munger Kahn and I am the president of LI-DOG, the Long Island Dog Owners Group, a community organization dedicated to promoting and supporting dog parks here on Long Island. We are really excited to be here today. Many of us have been advocating for dog parks for years and more than a year ago, we made it LI-DOG’s mission to make dog parks “part of the fabric of life on Long Island“- as common as going to the beach. Today, with the support and leadership of Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy and Legislators Steve Stern and Jon Cooper, we are well on our way to making that dream a reality for the 600,000 Suffolk residents who own dogs and for millions of others for generations to come. I’d like to offer a special thanks to Leg. Cooper who has supported our efforts for many years. First and foremost, this issue is about people. It is about having our senior citizens, families, young and old, citizens from all walks of life being able to enjoy social, recreational and competitive activities with our dogs in Suffolk’s many wonderful parks. Dog Parks are good for both dog owners and non-dog owners alike. By providing safe and legal areas for dog owners to exercise their pets, dog parks help prevent dogs from infringing on other park users. And, certainly, well-socialized, well-exercised dogs are good canine citizens and are less likely to end up in shelters – saving heartache and taxpayer dollars. But, most importantly, dog parks build strong communities of people who are dedicated to the parks and the communities in which these off-leash areas are created. Dog owners are among the parks system’s most devoted users and we are strong advocates for Suffolk County parks. Across the nation, many communities that rank among the most desirable places to live and attract millions of tourists and residents every year have found dog parks to be incredibly successful and popular. NYC alone has 50 dog parks. The actions being announced here today will put Suffolk County in league with these other forward-thinking, fast-growing communities. We are very grateful to County Executive Levy, Legislators Stern and Cooper, and Parks Commissioner Ron Foley for their support and we look forward to working with them in moving this great initiative forward. Today’s action will bring real joy to Suffolk’s hundreds of thousands of dog owners and there certainly will be many tails wagging, too! On behalf of the county’s dog owners, thank you very much. As always, keep in touch by e-mailing us at lidog_news@yahoo.com. |