I was saddened to hear so many personal attacks lobbed at dog owners at Wednesday’s meeting of the Turlock Parks, Recreation and Community Commission. The legitimate concerns of parking, limited space, and aesthetics should have been the focus of this meeting. Unfortunately, many in attendance found it to be advantageous to decry dog owners as irresponsible and insinuated that they did not meet the socioeconomic standards of their high priced neighborhoods.
This type of simplistic and unfounded generalization is unbecoming of our community and contributes nothing to what is otherwise a genuinely debatable topic – does Turlock need another dog park? If so, where should it be located?
I personally believe that an additional dog park in our community would be a great amenity. Turlock has long prided itself in providing recreational opportunities for its residents, and a second dog park would build on our strong commitment to public spaces and recreation. The existing Sunnyview Dog Park is a great success, and provides a great opportunity for socialization for dogs and dog owners alike. I would encourage anyone who has concerns about the operation of a dog park to visit the existing dog park to witness how children can plan play on swing sets, adults can play soccer, and dogs can roam freely without any one activity disrupting the other.
If the City chooses to move forward with a second dog park – and it should – it is apparent that the location should be in North Turlock. There a many options choose from, and I look forward to additional public input and a healthy debate – but please leave the generalizations and personal denunciation at home.
Steven Nascimento
