CURRENT FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Is Pinecrest going to create a dog park within their Wayside Park
(at SW 112 Street and US1)? 
YES!!!  SEPTEMBER 2009, THEY ARE GOING TO BUILD ONE!
In the past, they said NO WAY!  We asked them multiple times, but there were no plans to build any official dog parks in Pinecrest. 
(Note:  if you live there, contact your council members and ask them to build a dog park (you pay taxes!)!  Get your friends to contact them, too.  If they see a need/demand for it, they will move closer to it.  Remember, they want to get reelected!   I (Jana/dogparkmiami@aol.com) will be happy to help them with anything they need, as will other dog park lovers! 

Is the Palmetto Bay Dog Park lake going to be tested?
The lake has only been tested once - January 16, 2006 - and only for bacteria harmful to humans (Fecal coliform, General coliform, Enterococcus).  It needs to be tested again....and for specific bacteria that's harmful to PETS (Giardia, Leptospirosis, etc) -- and on a quarterly basis since algae and bacteria blooms occur at different temperatures.  There are no plans to test the lake in the future.  

There is an area of the park near the highway that floods and often has standing water in it.  I'm worried my dog will get sick if he runs through it or drinks from it when full of water.  When will this be fixed?  (We pay taxes for all of the parks in Palmetto Bay!)
There are no plans to fix the standing water problem in that area.  (Maybe when they replace the pea rock in the park one day, they'll put some there, too...)


I do not allow my 2 small dogs to go to the side of the park near the highway. The fence has gaps underneath, and the entrance and exit gates both have large gaps. When will these be fixed (with our tax money)?
There are no plans to fix those areas of the fence.  A park user generously offered to donate landscape sand to fix seal the gaps, but official volunteer help is not welcomed. (The council thinks they'll owe something to someone and will lose control over everything that happens at the park, so even though they accepted $300,000 just to name another park on Old Cutler Road, they refuse help with the dog park.  It's a more visible park and they don't care about support since they don't owe any personal favors to gain votes.)

YOU REQUESTED THE FACTS AND HAVE MADE GREAT SUGGESTIONS.  HERE THEY ARE.  KEEP THEM COMING!!

The dog park was built in just 2 months -- after more than 4 years of meetings, presentations, pleading, schmoozing, fighting, etc. 

The park was opened with a ribbon cutting ceremony -- which was to have been a "rib-BONE cutting ceremony" (done by dogs) promised to the Humane Society -- the group that endorsed and promoted the dog park efforts from Day 1.  They weren't involved in the opening, nor were there any supporting vendors at the Grand Opening (as promised).

Speeches were given -- with no volunteer recognition - even though appreciation and recognition for them was promised at a lunch meeting with the Mayor just a week before the opening.

Some were thanked who had nothing to do with the dog park and have never been back again or ever done anything to help -- a political ploy.

A plaque was erected -- with no volunteer appreciation, especially since there were so many people who made the park happen (not just a certain few).  No room on the dog park plaque?  Well...how to explain the ADDITIONAL plaque at Perrine/Palmetto Bay Skate Park that thanks only those volunteers involved in the skate park?  (It's just another political ploy, since some of those involved in the skate park were friends with those in village politics.) 

The County's newspapers didn't attend the opening --   Only the dog park group and volunteers were asked to be in Miami's main newspaper, in an article with photos of them and their pets the week before the opening.   These people were not allowed to be in the article nor in ANY photos taken at the park (blamed on "safety" by the council), even though this group had been in the park MANY times before and during construction to review progress (and they knew about this). The newspaper saw through this and did not attend nor cover the opening.

The gates opened, and ultimate control of the PUBLIC PARK was taken over by a few -- and those who've helped and wanted to help were shut out completely. 

Many have asked, "why even offer to help, if we're going to be slapped in the face about our offers?"  
Because this is about one of the happiest, most fun, most special, and most requested parks
in all of Miami-Dade County.
Because it's about families.
Because it's about dogs.
Because it's about children.
Because it's about exercise.
Because it's about socialization.
Because it's about responsible pet ownership.
Because it's about community involvement.
Because it's about volunteerism.
Because it's about education.
Because it's about every family member's sharing in the parks system.
Because it's about making a difference!
We can't let the controlling personalities and paranoia of a few stop the desires of the masses!  It's UP TO US!  We are enthusiastic, happy, and care about others!  (KEEP UP THE FORWARD MOTION!)

Yes, we all look around and notice (and comment) daily:

SOD -- The sod -- that wasn't allowed time to establish itself, but it sure looked nice on the day of opening -- is almost completely worn away.  There were no sprinklers installed in the park, despite our pleas (and sponsorship offers), that would have kept the sod healthy.  (...and yes, Palmetto Bay Park has and runs lights and sprinklers constantly -- even when the park, a less used facility, is not in use)

MUD -- Mud is overtaking parts of the park that are heavily used (banks of lake, for example) - and will surely only get worse...

STANDING WATER -- Standing water (a health hazard contributing to the growth of Giardia, Leptospirosis, and breeding mosquitoes that cause heartworms to dogs not on monthly medication) gets very bad.  We've had multiple offers from people who'd take care of the entire problem in just HOURS, and the park would be perfect again...

DRAINAGE -- The pea rock was simply poured into the existing "valley" near the bathing station to fill it up.  The land needed to be excavated further before the pea rock was poured in to allow for the drainage.  It's a fix that looks good but is not working.

LAKE TESTING -- This MUST be done. Tests need to be done for bacteria that affect DOGS, first, and people, second, this time.  Dogs swim in the lake more than people do (and now, a sign is posted that says "no [human] swimming"...) 

POOP STATIONS -- We need more poop stations (especially near the rear parking lot)...  People need to come into the dog park and immediately grab a poop bag to carry and use.  Another station is needed on the "bridge" near the highway, as dogs frequently poop on the concrete, as it's a long walk to the next station.

GATE SIGNAGE -- We need visible official signage on the rear gate area (visible from the back parking lot) to indicate which is the Entry gate and which is the Exit gate.  Visitors keep coming in through the wrong gate, and animated dogs end up in confined spaces with other dogs...

RULES POSTED INSIDE OF PARK -- Since it's difficult to stop and read the rules on the gate when your dog just wants to come inside and play, we need the official dog park rules posted inside of the park, also, so that people can read the rules at their convenience.

FENCING -- We need the fencing of the small dog park extended so that the small dog park isn't seen as a "measly afterthought for second class citizens."  It can easily be extended toward the bathing station!

WATER FOUNTAIN -- We need a water source in the small dog park!

EXISTING WATER FOUNTAIN -- The button for water for the dogs is VERY difficult to push, so it would be nice to have it loosened.

BENCHES/SEATING -- We need more seating in the small dog park (once the area is extended).  People are bringing their own folding chairs, so the park will eventually lose the "uniform park look."  They are also upset that the small dog park is so tiny and end up bringing small dogs (often seen as prey to larger dogs) into the "large dog section" of the park.

ENTRANCE TO SMALL DOG PARK -- It would be great to have the small dog park's entrance moved closer to the back parking lot (for example, by creating a long rectangular gated corridor as the entrance) so that leashed small dogs don't have to go through "the gauntlet" of large playful dogs in order to reach the small dog area.  It's great that we have a small dog area, but it needs to be conducive and fair to the small dogs and their owners.  (NOTE:  Small dogs should be carried, NOT leashed and walked, to the small dog park from the back gate, for safety.)

* * * SMALL DOG PARK DOUBLE GATE!!! * * * -- We need the small dog area's gates fixed so that the small dog area, too, has a double-gated entrance and exit with self-closing gates (rather than having to improvise with a bungee cord [thanks, volunteer!] and physically keeping large dogs from coming in and small dogs from coming out every time the gate opens).  The bungee is no longer holding the gate tight, and both small and large dogs can push the gates open. (This is important because of large dogs that see small dogs as prey animals or as furry dog toys!)

LAKE ENTRANCE CLEANUP -- We need the lake entrances (in the shallow edges of the water) cleaned all the way around the park so that dogs (and children!) that go into the water EVERY DAY are not injured by hidden objects that were never removed when the dog park was first built.

SHAMPOO -- We need the bathing station supplied with "official, sanctioned" shampoo every single day (thank you, donors, for always putting bottles there!)  A great sponsorship idea.

HOSE AND NOZZLE -- The hose and nozzle for the bathing station has been furnished (FOUR TIMES!) by volunteers.  If you see someone taking the nozzle or leaving the water running, please help out and make sure the nozzle stays there, and turn off the water.  (And yes, you may use shampoo on your pets!  If there's no shampoo and you've brought your own, feel free to use it.  Those who bathe their pets in water only are often doing it because there's no shampoo -- or just to get the mud off before riding home in the car.)  The village's solution to a problem with the hose and nozzle was to remove the entire thing from the park, so make sure to take care of the hose and nozzle!

POOP STATION TWEAKING -- Many of the poop bag stations have attached refuse containers whose lids rub against the metal pole and are difficult to close.  They end up staying open, and they attract flies.  These containers simply need to be tweaked with a screwdriver so that they properly align with the pole.  (An easy volunteer project)

UNUSED AREA OF PARK

 -- A volunteer (or scout troop?) could build a little wooden bridge and install it over the sharp rocks on the northwest corner of the park (near the "Henry Perrine sign") so that the area there could be used by people and pets wanting to walk across that area.  That area of the park is unused and is wasted space, and the rocks aren't firmly set for walking across.  A bridge could even be the start of an agility course on that side of the park!


AGILITY COURSE
There are so many pets and people interested in agility at the dog park!  The lake is a wonderful feature, but to burn off more energy (and for those dogs that don't swim), it would be nice to have another exercise feature at the park.  An agility course (or each piece) can be sponsored, and multiple volunteers have offered to BUILD the agility course, as they have built equipment at other dog parks. 

FYI -- Palmetto Bay and neighboring communities have MULTIPLE champion agility pets that will definitely use the equipment!

  
MEMBERSHIP -- A membership at this park would raise money to pay for park maintenance, and it would keep out those aggressive breed pets (and their owners) who come to the park occasionally.  A membership would afford an attendant at the park to make sure that people obey the rules.  EVERY SINGLE PERSON that has been asked about a membership to the park would gladly pay a fee (and abide by the rules about proof of vaccinations and licensing, breed legality, and pet temperament)!!   Why NOT have a membership at the dog park?  Many dog parks around the country have memberships and established programs they'll share with us so that we can easily implement such a program!