Council unleashes 'bark park' bill
By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser City Hall Writer
Dog owners will be able to take off the leashes in certain "bark parks" across O'ahu because of a bill approved yesterday by the City Council.
Advertiser library photo • July 19, 2000
The change in law will allow the city's parks and recreation director to designate off-leash parks. City spokeswoman Carol Costa said the first pilot project will be at Moanalua Community Park off Pu'uloa Road.
Cindy Stine and her miniature dachshund, Kara, enjoy the Humane Society's dog park. Other parks are in the works.
The city will fence the area and post signs to tell people about the dog-friendly rules. They include some canine etiquette: Owners must have voice control over their dogs; no female dogs in heat; all dogs must have their license tags; people must clean up after their dogs.
One of those pushing for the change is Ron Jones, president of the Moanalua Gardens Community Association. Jones said that a large percentage of people in his neighborhood support a park where dogs can get off their leashes.
"A bark park near a people park will allow the children to see dogs interacting and free on the other side of a fence and teach them how much fun and how lovable they can be," Jones said.
Hawaiian Humane Society President Pam Burns supports the new law and believes it reflects the evolving relationship people have with their pets. "Now, they're really, truly members of the family," she said.
There are two privately owned off-leash dog parks in Honolulu, one at the Humane Society and the other at Diamond Head. Burns noted that both are widely used but inconvenient for people in other parts of O'ahu.
Costa said the next park will be at Kamaio Park in Mililani. Two others are planned: one in east Honolulu and another Windward to North Shore.
The dog parks were approved yesterday in the council's first meeting at the new city building in the Second City: Kapolei Hale. Although the building was dedicated Feb. 8, much of it remains empty.
As part of the continuing work on the building, the council also approved transferring $650,000 from the semi-autonomous Honolulu Board of Water Supply to the city's construction budget to spend on the building, which so far cost more than $24 million. Council budget chairman Steve Holmes said he just received the transfer request from the city administration to pay for the water board's share of office space .
The Council also voted to:
• Reverse its recommendation on paying for private attorneys to represent council members accused of ethics conflicts related to the camp development at Pua'ena Point.
• Approve a resolution to request reimbursement of $3.86 million for the Asian Development Bank meeting in May.
• Give preliminary approval to a bill designed to force those convicted of cockfighting to pay larger fines and shorter jail terms.
