Brooklyn's Largest Off-Leash Community

FIDO In Prospect Park's commitment is to ensure that Prospect Park is a safe and healthy place for dogs; that responsible supervision of dogs will enhance opportunities for off-leash activity. Please make a serious effort to monitor your dog's interactions whether it be on the sidewalk or in the park itself.

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{download the pdf} make flyer for your local deli, pet supply, vet's office} Rabid Raccoon Found in Downtown Brooklyn 02/16/10 The Prospect Park Alliance was recently informed by the Department of Health that a raccoon has tested positive for rabies in Brooklyn - the first raccoon ever to have rabies in this borough. The raccoon was found in Boerum Hill near State & Nevins Streets - not far from the Atlantic Center. See NY Health Department "positive animals tests": www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/cd/cdrab-borough.shtml . Rabid Raccoons have been found in Central Park over the past few months; now one has tested positive not far from Prospect Park. Raccoons travel rapidly through back yards, so it may only be a matter of time before they arrive in neighborhoods adjacent to the park itself. Know that rabies is not an immediate threat to those who have vaccinated their dogs; those who keep track of their dogs while off-leash. WHAT YOU NEED TO DO... DO KEEP SHOTS UP TO DATE. If a rabid animal bites your dog, the Health Department requires re-vaccination within 3 days with rabies vaccine and confinement for a 45 day period in the owner’s home. If not vaccinated or not up to date there are two mandatory options; either euthanize immediately or place the pet in quarantine for 6 months at a veterinary facility (this is very costly). OPEN MEADOWS are the best place to exercise your dogs. Avoid the wooded areas even on-leash. Be suspicious of raccoon encounters that are either aggressive or unusually friendly especially in daylight hours. Report such encounters to 311 immediately. If you or your dog is bitten, call 911! 311 useless? In Prospect Park, if you suspect a rabid animal, call the Park Supervisor's office at: 718-287-9889. If it's during work hours they have expressed a willingness to investigate. SPREAD THE WORD to anyone who keeps a dog in a back yard; a dog who does not come out to the park. Once bitten, a backyard dog becomes a danger to its own family as well as neighboring dogs and cats. EVERY HUMAN IS SUSCEPTIBLE. The Department of Health has warning language for both pets and owners here: www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/cd/cdrab-faq.shtml CHECK OUT FIDO In Prospect Park's website (www.fidobrooklyn.org) and click on the health button for more information as well as city links on rabies. FIDO MEMBERSHIP - What's In It For You? We encourage membership in FIDO In Prospect Park because as a dog owner, we will keep you in the loop whether it be lost and found dogs or bulletins such as this one. Joining FIDO insures that you become part of a dog owners' e-mail group several hundred strong - a group who is always in the know. FIDO IN PROSPECT PARK - WWW.FIDOBROOKLYN.ORG ------------ ASPCA has a mobile clinic that gives FREE rabies shots to people who can prove financial need. They also do mobile spay/neuter. Check the calendar schedule on their website, www.aspca.org/aspca-nyc/mobileclinic/.

PROSPECT PARK OFF-LEASH AREAS: 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. -- 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. Long Meadow; Nethermead & Peninsula... See map off-leash rules explained ALL other Times & Areas, you MUST leash up! Responsible Ownership Means Always Respect The Law Join FIDO receive e-mail advisories: lost & found dogs, health notices and more...

Upcoming... Next Coffee Bark - Saturday, Aprl 3rd 7 a.m. - 9 a.m. Long Meadow beside the Picnic House What's Coffee Bark? FIDO 2010 Calendar - for sale: Coffee Bark, Sat, March 6thth If you can't make the Coffee Barks, make arrangements with Lynn: lpradov@mindspring.com FIDO Fall/ Winter Newsletter - pdf download Our "Dog Chat" button now brings you to FIDO Facebook & Twitter

First Things First... FIDO Video Dog Beach Video: NYC Parks Dept It's Your Park   2010 FIDO Calendar Will be for sale, Coffee Bark, April 3rd 1 for $12 2 for $20 3 for $25. If you can't make the Coffee Barks, make arrangements with Lynn: lpradov@mindspring.com   In The News ... New York Post - Sunday May 10th, 2009 Read about Orrin Tilevitz and his anti-off leash jihad in Prospect Park (and other parks) See Credo Blog Spot, the Orrin antidote Daily News -April 21st Running with the Boro's Big Dogs - two pages about Coffee Bark

Barkings... & Growls Download FIDO Newsletters going back to Spring 2003 . Barkings... Last Summer's left-overs... Garbage Cleanup Takes A New Turn - for the better! Lost & Found Items Contact FIDO Lost & Found items Need to post a lost or found dog? 03/06/10 Found - USB flash drive on a key chain. Yours? - Contact: bipcar@gmail.com 03/06/10 Charcoal mittens with flower decoration left at Coffee Bark - Contact: bipcar@gmail.com 02/19/10 Lost my dog's tags in the meadow this morning 2/19 (fortunately not the dog). My name and phone number are on one of them so I just hope people will keep an eye out. Thank you, Kate M. maisquoi@gmail.com 02/13/10 Dropped Lucky's muzzle somewhere near Litchfield Villa. It's metal with leather straps. 917 535-7933. Thanks. Sharon A. 01/24/10 Set of keys found in leaves by the Bartold-Pritchard parking lot - coiled blue tie. Contact: bipcar@gmail.com 01/18/10 lost black dogtra remote in prospect park, i would be very grateful to have it back. Rebecca.Porcelli@gmail.com 01/8/10 Lose a watch in the Long Meadow? Describe it and it's yours. No, not a Rolex! Contact: bipcar@gmail.com Stand By Your Dog! while someone else does the shopping... Never leave your dog on a parking meter! Even though you may be able to see your dog through the shop window, a moment's distraction is all it takes! Stolen dogs have been held for ransom or reward right here in Park Slope. Size doesn't matter - there are people out there who will roll your dog through the doorway of a minivan without a moment's hesitation. Worse still, you dog may end up in a research laboratory or sold to an out of state pet store. Patronize dog friendly stores; have a friend watch your dog or better still, leave your dog home when you're shopping. Does Your Dog Have a City Dog Tag/Rabies Tag? New City Health Department Dog Licence on-line registry - painless! An alternative is to download their PDF application and mail it in. Takes a few weeks! See your veterinarian for rabies tags. Know that a lost dog can be traced back to the veterinarian who issued the rabies tag. Usually under $10/ year! Health... Cold Weather Tips Leptospirosis! critical that you vaccinate your dog! See FIDO Newsletter Summer 2009 - Lepto interview (pdf) Lyme Disease summery Note: FIDO has a great "Health" section with all kinds of tips & links for canine park users Growls... How we'll deal with garbage next summer... The two giant open containers that were parked on the roadways beside the Peninsula and the Nethermead for a good part of the summer were supplemented by a half dozen “two yard” containers distributed along the Long Meadow by early September. These newer containers were part of a month long experiment to see whether the picnicking public will respond in a positive manner – walk those few extra steps and deposit their trash at the end of the day. Coupled with expended pick up hours on weekends, Prospect Park’s administration has shown that despite drastic staffing and budget cuts, they are committed to the policy that our park continues to be a safe, healthy place for all user groups. Josephine Pittari, Senior VP for Operations/ Chief of Operations Prospect Park, reports that people are indeed responding; that people are using them. Look for volunteer educational programs beginning next spring as well as a citywide move toward a “bag it in; bag it out” trash policy – at last as far as the nearest garbage container. All in all, we see progress. The Bottom Line... Here's the question: should we be content to just clean every week or attack the problem! FIDO would like to see a difference in the public's attitude as well. The park administrations must begin educational programs on a city-wide basis to encourage the public to "bag it in; bag it out" or "carry in; carry out" as it's known is Ohio, New Hampshire, Maine, Maryland just top name a few participants. We don't expect everything to the bagged back through the subway system but at least take it to the nearest dumpster. FIDO would like to see a specific "green squad" of volunteers to encourage people to bag out what they can by handing out free trash bags and pointing out the nearest dumpster - non-threatening way to communicate. FIDO would like to see a spring-time ticket blitz for the illegal barbecuing that is destroying tree roots and pitting open meadows. Expansion of legal barbecuing areas with "striking" signage would go a long way toward steering people to the proper areas. If 200 people and dogs can picnic in one spot for two hours and clean up...     Coffee Bark before...     Coffee Bark during...       Coffee Bark after... Local Dog Runs Can't get up in the morning? Official Dog Runs (extended hours) Park Slope: Washington Park - 3rd Street btw 4th & 5th Aves Brooklyn Heights: Hillside Park - near Old Fulton Ferry See complete Borough list: NYC Off-Leash Areas & Dog Runs Local Groups Wanting to Establish a Dog Run South Slope Dog Owners (by the Prospect Expressway) www.southslopedog.org/ contact Pamila Brown Want to establish a dog run? NYCdog had the information you need to get started: http://nycdog.org/NYCdogFreeserver/park.html Join FIDO Please Remember... What made FIDO in Prospect Park viable ten years ago was that a committed bunch of dog owners gathered together with Park administration to work out the basic off-leash rules that were essentially the rules we know today. The trick was to live by them.  By becoming a MEMBER of FIDO, dog owners felt empowered to apply peer pressure to those who still "didn't get it"!  Having control of your dog at all times is basic; it's still our number one priority today. . If you are serious about responsible off-leash, we ask that you become a member of FIDO. We currently have about four hundred members which was certainly enough to inspire some twenty thousand plus New York City dog owners two year ago to make their voices known through petitions and letters when the City beat back the lawsuit by the Juniper Hill Civic association to end off-leash privileges. Instead off-leash privileges became off-leash law! Let's double our membership. Membership means you have a say in all manner of things "off-leash". Membership is a commitment to your fellow dog-owners as well as other park users. Membership is for one year. The  amount? Simply whatever you can afford from a few dollars on up. You can even join on-line. What's in it for me? You will be a part of a LARGE group committed to the responsible off-leash rules that make this park such a haven for dogs and their owners. You will also be on an e-mail list of over 600 people who receive advisories concerning lost & found dogs (it might be your's); health tips; safety alerts and more.   Join FIDO; make yourself count. Off-leash Rules ... . . Official Parks Department Off-Leash Rules . . Prospect Park Off-Leash Rules Explained, Ad Nauseam... Very Important... We share the Park with lots of others: people, birds, critters, and plants.  It's a big park but heavily used. Please remember these few points - they can save you a bunch of money (like $100 per dog!) Be sure to tell your friends: PROSPECT PARK OFF-LEASH AREAS: 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. - 5 a.m to 9 a.m. Long Meadow; Nethermead & Peninsula ... See Map Leash Up - While off-leash rules extend from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.; 5 a.m. to 9 a.m., it is mandatory that you leash your dog upon request of a person of authority whether it's off-leash hours or not. It makes good sense and may defuse a situation that would otherwise cost you a fine for whatever the perceived reason. Prospect Park is technically closed to all after 1a.m.. It reopens at 5 a.m. BALLFIELDS The ball fields are officially OFF LIMITS no matter the season, hour, on-leash or not. This is a ruling by the City Parks Department that came with the legalization of a city wide off-leash - a kind of one rule "fits all" policy. Ball fields extend from the horse corral to the 9th Street path beside the Tennis House. FAQ: Does "ball fields" include the center swath of grass down the middle? Is it OK to be on-leash on the ball fields? A: Off means OFF. Park Policy says that dogs must be on-leash, on the paths, even while going around the ball fields until you reach the Ninth Street path leading to the Dog Beach. This also means that dogs on leash are NOT allowed on the swath between ball fields. The reason for this is that off-leash dogs running anywhere along the perimeter have the potential to run into the ball field play area and poop; or leave a puddle on the concrete bench areas, hence, dogs must be on-leash, on the paths, until they reach the Long Meadow Proper - the path beside the Tennis House, leading directly down to the Dog Beach... Pee Wee Teams are active after April Opening Day - especially on weekends. As a courtesy and for your own enjoyment of the Long Meadow, give them another fifty yards of space - dogs and balls don't mix! DOG BEACH Dogs are NEVER, EVER allowed off leash in the water after off-leash hours. We know it's tempting, especially on weekends, but there are far too many passersby & children - many of whom would rather not encounter off-leash dogs. Be considerate of others! Swimming is allowed in the lake from the off-leash area known as the Peninsula but only during off-leash hours. PARK WORKERS There may be workfare crews cleaning up picnicker's garbage before 9 a.m., though mostly during summer months. They have a job to do which shouldn't have to include sweeping up OUR dog poop! Be aware that some of them would rather not meet off-leash dogs, so we should make an effort to keep our dogs away at all times. HORSES Horses are spooky critters and ANY encounter with dogs may lead to serious injury to the rider and the horse. A FIDO Member writes: "...while a rowdy pedestrians pose a danger as well, it is important that people understand that horses are prey animals and as such, have a highly developed "startle" sense. They can't differentiate well between dogs and cougars." Wooded areas, pathways, BRIDLE PATHS and roads are never OK for off-leash. Running your dog in or even NEAR the horse corral is a BIG no, no! The bridle path near the Nethermead is a particular sore point with the horseback riders. Off-leash dogs may hassle the horses. Anticipate trouble - KEEP Your Dog Away! PLEASE! Support the New York City Horse Council & especially the Kensington Stables, Brooklyn SQUIRRELS It's against everything FIDO stands for to let your dog chase them - and it's a big, big NO as far as the Park Rangers are concerned. Letting your dog pursue squirrels is having a dog that's out of control - a major serious issue. NESTING AREAS - (woods as well as along waterways) Dogs must be on leash in these areas anyway. Some of these areas are fenced in, you say? There are more than a few park users who are nervous about encountering off-leash dogs within the confines of a trail. Put yourself in other peoples' shoes. Your dog must be on leash, ALL the time! PLAYGROUNDS Dog owners: Please, don't even think about it! PARENTS WITH DOGS & TODDLERS Use common sense! If you must bring your toddler out during off-leash hours, stay alert! There's always the danger of a little one being toppled by exuberant playful dogs of all sizes. Know that strollers may attract unwanted attention because of the inevitable coating of food debris. One argument we hear: "Hey, it's a public park. I have a right to be here too." True, but during designated user group time you ought to cut everyone a little slack. Why deliberately walk through the middle of the ball fields during game season just because... This is not to say dog owners should remain oblivious to their dog's interactions. While off-leash hours is often considered a "time-share", dog owners must do their part to see that their dogs remains under control no matter what. DOG BEACH Remember that the water at the Dog Beach gets VERY deep, VERY quickly. It is NOT a toddler pool! Goldie The Snowman Winter Greetings!