George Street Dog Park

.03/31/2022 – Bark Silencer Found at George Street Dog Park

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Bark Silencer Found Facing Into George Street Dog Park in Babylon Village

In a continuing pattern of harassment, dog owners found a bark silencer nailed into trees facing the George Street Dog Park in Babylon Village on March 14th. The silencer emits a high-pitched, ultrasonic sound designed to stop dogs from barking. The installation of the device continues a pattern of harassment of dog owners, and now dogs, at the park, including threats and obscenities yelled at park goers. For details on this latest incident and what dog owners are doing to save the George Street Dog Park, go to Bark Silencer Found Facing into Dog Park in Babylon Village.

 

03/31/2022 – Bark Silencer Found at George Street Dog Park

This entry was posted in Latest News Archive and tagged Bark Silencer George Street Dog Park Village of Babylon on by

 

Bark Silencer Found Facing into Dog Park in Babylon Village

On March 14th, dog owners discovered two devices nailed into trees facing the George Street Dog Park in Babylon Village. The devices were taken to a nearby electronics store and found to be a Good Life Max Dog Silencer and accessory. The Silencer emits an ultrasonic, high-pitched sound designed to stop dogs from barking.

The installation of the bark silencer continues a pattern of harassment and intimidation of people—and now dogs—who use the Village’s dog park at the end of George Street. Over the last several months, there have been reports of threats and obscenities yelled at park-goers and theft of community property in the dog park.

In January, the Village Board voted to close the George Street Dog Park because of complaints about noise from a nearby condominium complex. The Village intends to expand another dog park located about a mile away on Locust Avenue. The Locust Avenue dog run, however, is located in an isolated area, not visible from the street, and a few feet away from LIRR tracks that are elevated at least 20 feet above the dog run.

Dog owners have rallied to save the George Street Dog Park by creating a petition with more than 400 signatures on it. In addition, they have proposed moving the dog park further into the 4.5-acre property so it’s a respectful distance from the complex and adding noise-buffering solid fencing and landscaping. Unfortunately, the Mayor and Village Board have so far rejected dog owners’ pleas for a compromise that meets their needs as well as the broader community.

What You Can Do: 
It’s important that the Mayor and Village Board take steps to stop the harassment of legal park-goers before the situation escalates further. Email the Mayor at mayor@villageofbabylonny.gov and the Village Board at info@villageofbabylonny.gov and ask them to make clear that harassment and intimidation of park-goers is not acceptable in any public park, including the George Street Dog Park.
Then, ask the Mayor and Village Board to listen to the pleas of dog owners and sit down in a good faith effort to come up with a compromise that will work for everybody.

For more information about the George Street Dog Park and the effort to save it, go to Kelly in Babylon or check out the George Street Dog Park Group on Facebook.

To sign the petition and share the petition with other Babylon Village dog owners, go to the Petition to Save the George Street Dog Park.

The dog owners and the dogs of the George Street Dog Park thank you! 

 

 

 

.03/07/2022 – Save the George Street Dog Park

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Sign the Petition to Save the George Street Dog Park!

Babylon dog owners are urged to help save the beloved George Street Dog Park. The Village Board voted to close the dog park this spring after receiving complaints about noise, but without any formal consultation with the park’s users. Dog owners are urging people to sign their petition, attend upcoming Village Board Meetings, and call or email the Mayor and Village Board urging them to come to a solution that works for everybody. For links and additional information, go to Sign the Petition to Save the George Street Dog Park!

 

03/07/2022 – Save the George Street Dog Park

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Sign the Petition to Save the George Street Dog Park!

 

Dog owners are asking all Town of Babylon and Babylon Village dog owners to help save the George Street Dog Park

On January 19th, without a formal public hearing, Babylon Village’s Board of Trustees voted to close the George Street Dog Park. The dog park has been in its current location—on a large field in Hawleys Lake Park at the end of George Street—since 2012. It is now slated to close this spring. The Village plans to expand and improve its existing dog run on Locust Avenue, which is located about a mile away, before the George Street dog park is closed, according to the Mayor.

The Board’s decision came after several residents from the Whalers Cove Condominium complex, which is located along Route 231, across a driveway from the dog park, complained at a Dec. 14th Board meeting about barking dogs that were affecting their quality of life. Several urged the Village Board to move the dog park someplace else.

Within days of the decision to close the park, dog owners led by local resident Kelly Morenus created a petition to Save the George Street Dog Park. Sign the George Street Park Petition now! 

Dog owners contend that complaints about dogs barking are overblown, noting that the park is closed at dusk and does not open again until the morning and that the park is often empty.

Moreover, they say, closing the dog park will seriously affect THEIR quality life by taking away a vital recreational resource and breaking up the community of people that has grown around the dog park. “As someone who does not have children and did not know many of my fellow community members, this dog park has been essential in helping me feel like I belong here,” said Morenus, who moved to the Village 5 years ago. “Now there is a little family of us,” she said. “Our dogs became friends, so we became friends…It seems unconscionable to vote to close down one of the few places that actually fosters this sense of community.”

In an effort to find a solution that would work for both dog owners and condo residents, Morenus and her colleagues presented a proposal to the Village Board on Feb. 8th that would move the dog park further into the 4.5-acre park, away from the condo complex, and install solid fencing, landscaping, and other features to buffer any noise. Within 24 hours of receiving the proposal, however, the Village Mayor rejected it, saying the decision was final.

Despite the Village Board’s current position, Morenus and her colleagues remain committed to coming up with a solution that the Village Board will accept and that will meet the needs of the dog owner community. Morenus and her colleagues note that while improving the Locust Avenue dog run is welcome, that dog run, which is located near LIRR tracks, raises safety and accessibility concerns. “The George Street Dog Park is a beloved community asset,” Morenus noted. Its loss would be “devastating.”

What You Can Do: If you are a Town of Babylon or Babylon Village resident and would like to help save the George Street Dog Park for the dog owner community, please:

1) Sign the petition to Save the George Street Dog Park NOW! Once you’ve signed, SHARE the petition with all your dog-friendly friends and family in Babylon. The petition already has more than 300 signatures, but it needs more!

2) Come to the Tues., March 8th Village Board meeting at Village Hall, 153 W. Main Street, Babylon 11702. Make sure the Mayor and the Board SEE how many people want to save the dog park!

3) Call or email the Mayor’s office at 631-669-1212 or mayor@villageofbabylonny.gov.

a. Let the Mayor and Village Board know you support a solution that works for everybody–dog owners and condo residents alike. The Village’s current plan never got input from the people who actually use the park. Dog owners are voters and taxpayers, too, and their interests deserve just as much consideration as other Village residents.

b. Urge the Mayor and Village Board not to break up the community that has grown up around the George Street dog park. Closing the dog park and moving its operations to another dog park will seriously damage their community.

4) Keep up with the latest developments in this effort to save the George Street Dog Park by going to KellyinBabylon. The website is full of useful information about what’s happening and what you can do to help!

Thank you for your support!