Planning for Pets

The need for designated pet areas most commonly arises in densely populated urban areas where open space is limited and pet owners comprise a significant portion of the population. As a result, pet owners seek more and more accommodations in our society. Airlines and hotels have responded to the needs of pet owners by making it easier for them to travel with their pets. Likewise, park managers must respond by looking for ways to accommodate pet owners.

There are many examples of agencies successfully accommodating the needs of pet owners and non-pet owners within their parks. Traditionally, pet owners were excluded from the spaces typically reserved for non-pet owners. The potential for conflicts in this situation are many and can be avoided with proper management.

These conflicts sometime produce reactions rather than well-aid plans intended to accommodate pet owners. There are obvious reasons for excluding pets from spaces such as soccer and football fields, softball and baseball diamonds, and environmentally sensitive areas. As the number of pet owners increase so do the demands put on open spaces. So, what can agencies do to accommodate the special interests of yet another group?

Ideally, a community incorporates the needs of pet owners in their park planning process. Each community has unique needs, and public involvement in the planning process can increase the likelihood of success. Consideration during the planning phase of park development reduces future conflict and exhibits a proactive rather than reactive philosophy. In reality, we often find ourselves accommodating the needs of pet owners and non-pet owners in parks developed without consideration for both groups. A good place to begin your search for a solution is in the ordinances adopted and enforced by your agency.

The ordinances adopted by your agency, if restrictive to pet owners, can create unnecessary conflict in your parks. Pet owners' perceptions that ordinances are unfair can produce a defiant rather than compliant response. Successful methods of regulation used by agencies include some or all of the following: