Putting A Leash On Auditorium Shores

If you ask me, they have no business living amongst us. Vile, USELESS BEASTS . . .

you are ridiculous.

nuhuh! u r ridiculus!

Nobody's talking about "banning" dogs, or that all dogs are bad. Just that there are already places for them in public parks to run free and sniff each other's butts: 1-35/Riverside, 24th/Lamar, Clarksville, et al.

Auditorium Shores is too populous, and you have the issue of children running up to them, getting bitten, picking up their mess & trying to eat it, and so on.

Socializing is very important, for both humans and their creatures. I have attended dog parks in every city I've lived, and I have never witnessed a child being mauled. Until we all actively invest in living together and accepting one another, there will always be a "reason" to tell people what to do.

I walk my dog every day. We're out for at least a half hour. We almost get hit by cars in crosswalks. We scare old people. There is no room to play in the street, and so when we walk by fellow dog walkers, there is little conversation outside of "Wouldn't it be nice if we could go someplace?"

Auditorium Shores in one thing. Leashless areas are, in my opinion, supposed to be confined within a fence. But to not allow neighborhoods to create their own dog park areas because of (primarily) NIMBY nincompoops isn't helping anybody out.

To just complain and not try to find a solution does nothing. It just makes everybody look very petty, silly, and divisive. This isn't the Austin that I moved to 10-years ago. Or is it?

Kenneth: There are a number of issues with dictating the populace to attend particular dog parks. For one thing, and it's the main thing for me, coming home from work and driving my dog on I-35 to get to Riverside is not a good idea. Lopez is over 100 pounds, and it's not safe for him. Anyway, the point is to walk with your dog, not throw him in a car and take him for a spin.

What this town really needs to do is allow neighborhoods to create and maintain their own dog parks. I live near Patterson Park. We've got plenty of room for fences, gravel, benches, and a post or two of Mutt Mitts.

There are other places for non-dog people to go too. Maybe they should just go to those places instead?

Maybe since dogs aren't equivalent to people, we should instead leave it up to the people to decide, huh?

Do they let dogs run leash-free in Central Park?

So now Austin is the equal of NYC? I don't get the point, there are plenty of places in Austin where dogs are not allowed off leash and there are a whole lot more of those places than there are places where they can be off leash. There are a bunch of parks in Portland that allow off leash; can we use those for comparison instead of Central Park (which Auditorium Shores is nothing like)?

I also think that our park at Auditorium shores has just become a place for dogs and if not land mines. There are no more picnic blankets and lunches to be had there. It is really frustrating when I would like to stretch after a run and I can't even sit any where that isn't dirt or poop. I love animals and there is a dog park at Riverside and I-35. Maybe we could get another dog park set up specifically for canines with even an obstacle course going, but you are taking away a place for humans to enjoy.

I thought "joggers" on a "trail" was an outdoorsy thing...if you're worried about getting a little mud or dirt from a passing dog, that's ridiculous. And if a dog is misbehaving, it's the owners fault. I love taking my dog to Auditorium shores. Part of improving a dog's behavior is socialising them with other dogs in a friendly setting. In every group of people there are a few bad apples- I can't see why outright banning something because not everyone follows the rules is justified.

"In every group of people there are a few bad apples"

With dog owners, it's about 50% bad apples. At least with the ones that take their dogs out in public.

And what do we say about most of the people posting on Austinist? 50% bad apples? 75% bad apples?

Give me a percent, because if this thread is any indication of the Austin public's (in)ability to deal with other people, I need some kind of reference.

And I speak as a man who picks up his dog's shit.

Don't forget that 50% of statistics about dog owners are made up.

Taking my dog to Auditorium Shores is the highlight of my weekend! I would be devastated, and so would my dog, if Auditorium Shores were to remove their leash free zone! The hike and bike trail is nearly eleven miles long...why should we not allow our dogs to run free for just a 1/2 mile of that distance? It really would not be that difficult to re-route the trail around the dogs if it becomes such a problem. The chain link fence is also a great idea. This is one of the few places in Austin that actually allows the dogs to just run and have a grand ole' time, so let's keep it that way.

I completely agree with "myname" - I'm more concerned with those who walk 4 wide on the trail or wander aimlessly back and forth looking out for everything but other people. I've been running by there for years and never once have I had an issue with a dog. Now, some of the people that own the dogs, that's another story, but they are part of what society exists for (so it's ok right?) Please explain why their insistence on not cleaning up after their dogs is the dogs fault.

I run that area 4 times a week and have never had trouble with the dogs. I agree that the poop scoop law should be more heavily enforced but a leash law is unnecessary for that area.

I have more trouble with obnoxious people walking side-by-side blocking the trail, or groups of mothers walking with strollers, or idiots going 40mph on bikes through runners. There are a lot more jackass people I'd ban before I got to the pets.

ps - please elaborate on what society exists for, if not the benefit of dogs.

Why do all the upward mobile down-towners have to constantly change everything to meet their easy needs. Many dogs and people have been enjoying Auditorium Shores, and it's leash free policy for many more years then those that wish to change the law have been aware of it, or lived in the area.

As a jogger, you can take one of many different paths or parks. Heaven's forbid one tiny stretch of a walking/running/biking path should inconvenience them with the fear of muddy paws. To the person, referencing the Riverside park... it's tiny, and well, relax. Haven't you noticed their are a lot of dog friendly restaurants around tv... that a lot of folks in Austin, like to spend time with their dogs.

Just relax and quit BANNING everything.

It's mainly because they are selfish. If you look at any of their responses on here in threads when something like this comes up it always refers to how it isn't convenient to them. It's usually never a comment about an overall effect, just about how it impacts their day.

Not providing a convenient, centrally located place for dogs to actually be dogs is only going to create a lot unhappy dogs and even unhappier owners.

There already is a "centrally located place" for dogs to be dogs. It's a fenced park area at the southwest corner of I-35 & Riverside Dr. Lots of dog owners, esp. in Travis Hts, use it daily.

Auditorium Shores is waaaay too busy for a leash-free zone. Just too many joggers, children running around, sunbathers, etc., and the playful canines can be a real nuisance and/or menace.

I love dogs (I have one), but I am totally ready for Auditorium Shores to be leash-only. I was there and had a big dog run up and jump on me, covering me with muddy paws. I yelled for his owner to come get him and after a couple of minutes of me trying to get him off me (he wasn't dangerous, just really friendly), she finally sauntered over and said, "this is a leash-free zone, you're the ones who shouldn't be here". Um, hello, I am on the hike and bike trail, not the dog attack trail!

She pretty much got into an altercation with me when it was her not minding her dog!

It seems to me that this could be fixed by re-reouting the jogging trail away from the beach area and installing a 3-foot tall chain link fence to separate the two areas.

Thank you for letting me help. My fee will be mailed.

Yesss! I LOVE chain link fence!

Personally, I couldn't care less about whether or not some disgusting turd- munching flea bag is happy or not. What I do care about- is the safety of people. If having an area to let your dog spazz around in is sooo important to you then rent/buy a damn house with a yard. Don't make everyone else in this city feel unsafe/irritated/grossed out/ by your dog and his crap piles which the majority of dog owners don't pick up, and WON'T pick up. Sorry- but dogs/dogs parks have nothing to do with the appeal of Central Austin. Like the first commenter stated, society does not exist for the benefit of dogs.

A leash law won't solve the problem of idiots who won't pick up their dog's poop. But it would solve the problem of joggers getting chased by unleashed dogs and wondering whether or not they're about to be bitten.

Having a park like Auditorium Shores in the middle of town is one of the reasons why I like living in central Austin. If this city is serious about encouraging people to live downtown it needs to provide substitutes for their (lack of) backyard, including giving dogs a place to stretch their legs. It would be a great loss to lose this unique resource for dog owners around the city.

If poop is the problem, how about enforcing laws that are already on the books? I've heard of creative solutions to this problem such as DNA fingerprinting dogs to identify who pooped. Let's be creative instead of ruining the party!

I am a dog owner who never lets mine off the leash except in our house/yard.

Society doesn't exist for the benefit of dogs. Nor do I care if it hurts dogs and dog-owners' feelings when leash laws have to be enforced because a huge percentage (not just a few bad apples; a HUGE PERCENTAGE) of dog owners are irresponsible jackasses.