The Rona Campaign: Bringing a Fenced Dog Play Area to Alamo
Started by Jennifer Wang and Nipun Jethi, residents of the Alama Square community, the Rona Campaign is working to bring a fenced dog play area to Alamo Square to provide a safe environment for all dogs to socialize. It was established in honor of Rona, a six month old puppy who bolted from Alamo Square into commuter traffic on Oak and Fell after an aggressive dog fight broke out and scared her. Amazingly, Rona survived this accident, but not all dogs are so fortunate. In our neighborhood conversations with local residents, we have discovered that many dog owners have a story to tell about when their dogs also bolted unpredictably. Most of the time, these owners were able to find their dogs again safe and sound, but in a few instances, dogs were tragically hit and killed by passing cars.
Pros of Bringing a Fenced Dog Area to Alamo
- SAFETY! Both dogs who are voice trained and those that are not can enjoy roaming off leash in the park. Also, even voice trained dogs will be protected if the unexpected happens and something makes them ignore their owners' commands.
- Potential Separation of Small and Big Dogs. Many small dog owners are fearful of letting their dogs off leash with large dogs. A fenced play area gives the option of a designated small dog area.
Cons of Bringing a Fenced Dog Area to Alamo
- Aesthetic Appeal. We recognize many people will be concerned about keeping Alamo Square beautiful. However, the Rona Campaign would assist with raising funds so a high quality and aesthetically appealing fence could be used. Hedges with flowers around the fenced area could also increase aesthetic appeal. Moreover, there are certain areas of the park that can be fenced which do not obscure the most impressive views (e.g. currently, there is already fencing around the playground and tennis courts)
- Fear that Off Leash Areas will be Diminished. The Rona Campaign does not support reducing off leash areas in the park in any way, shape, or form. A fenced area would simply substitute one type of off leash space for another. Moreover, because it is impossible to fence the entire section of off leash space, there will always be a lot of space left for dog owners who continue to prefer using an unfenced play area.
The Proposals
- Proposal A - Fence off a large section of the current off leash space so that most dogs would used the fenced space together. This allows large dogs to exercise and there would be space for a small dog partition.
- Prospoal B - Fence off a medium section of the park. This proposal might be the most aesthetically appealing, because the fence would be invisible from most areas of the park. However, this proposal would require fencing some space that is technically not designated as "off leash," which non dog owners may not like.
- Proposal C - Fence off a small section of the park. This would make it impossible to have a separate small dog fenced area, but at a minimum, it would allow owners uncomfortable with using an unfenced area an option to let their dogs play and socialize with other dogs.
- Your Proposal? Got another proposal not listed? Please email us with your idea! Contact rona-campaign@gmail.com.
