EDITORIAL
It's crazy to ban kids from walking the dog

If new canine rules proposed by the city's Department of Parks and Recreation are adopted, we can definitely advertise Honolulu as a town that's not going to the dogs.

A sweeping overhaul of dog-walking rules has been triggered by the opening of a new off-leash dog run at Moanalua Community Park.

One proposal is that dog walkers must be at least 18 years old, which strikes us as absurd; don't we want children walking the dog?

By contrast, the proposed off-leash rules based on those already enforced at private dog parks are somewhat more reasonable: Dog handlers must clean up after their own dogs; all dogs must wear a collar and have a valid license; dogs must be disease- and parasite-free; no dogs in heat are allowed; and people use the park at their own risk.

So we urge the parks department not to rush through rules that are going to enrage pet owners, particularly the underage dog-walking ban. Trust us, this has all the potential of a van-cam rebellion.