This Story Has Been Reported In Every Major Daily And Weekly And No One Else Took It There . . . Until Now

That the most disgusting headline of the week — no, month — no, year — addresses an equally repulsive topic (off-leash animals) is no excuse. “Passions Unleashed, Doggy Style”:

The escalating battle over the Parks Department’s unofficial policy of allowing dogs off leash in some city parks between the hours of 9 p.m. and 9 a.m. had an official hearing last week.

The Board of Health heard testimony from both sides last Wednesday in Manhattan. A decision by the Board of Health to allow the Parks Department’s unofficial policy would pave the way for Parks to make its unofficial off-leash hours entirely legal.

Currently, the Board of Health requires that dogs be on a leash at all times when in public, but city law also give the Parks Commissioner the power to enact regulations that function as law within city parks, and for 20 years they have allowed dogs to run off their leash for the aforementioned 12 hours, as long as the park is legally open.

Recently, amid growing clamor about the policy, Parks asked the Board of Health to revisit and clarify their own regulations. The hearing was held to gather input on a proposal to allow the unofficial Parks policy, as long as owner could prove that their dogs are licensed and vaccinated. If the Board of Health okays the proposal, Parks would have to do the same and hold their own hearings, but it is unlikely they would shoot down their own rule.

“This unofficial policy has existed for 20 years and there has never been a problem, and I don’t think there is going to be a problem,” predicted Bob Marino, president of NYCdog, who testified last week in favor of allowing dogs off-leash at certain times.

The debate over the unofficial policy has come to a head recently, culminating with a lawsuit filed by the Juniper Park Civic Association (JPCA), testing legally the Parks Department’s authority to set policy. The judge has put that case on hold pending a decision by the Board of Health.

PG-13 Alternate Headline: “Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum Might Have Called It ‘Man On Dog'”