Dog parks: public spaces for house dogs in the city

 

Origin of research question

As citizens of a city we have some expectations from the government, which can be in terms of infrastructure facilities, public spaces and transportation facilities. We as human can voice our choices, but what happen to those who can’t voice their choice the way we do. Through this study I want to get an insight in the expectations of dog owner for their pets.

The idea came when I visited a cafe in Indranagar and I was seated next to a woman with her dog (Lamrador). The woman and the dog were enjoying their dinner but I noticed a change in behavior of people around them. Some of my friends thought it is not appropriate to allow dogs in public spaces whereas some pointed out, where else would the lady with a dog go on a Sunday? There were two sides of argument and it clearly creates a divide. Do we allow or not allow house dogs in public spaces and this work aims to study dog park areas and the need of such parks? To explore this further the study will examine dog park area in Cubbon Park.

Field observations

Now that there is a question to be studied deciding a field becomes crucial.  It would be best to choose the study where one can observe and document the phenomena. I spoke to few dog owners followed by an online search and found out that most people prefer dog park area in Cubbon Park. I was also told that Sunday is a good time to visit and that is the time when the dog park is open.

Cubbon Park is a lush green patch in the middle of Bangalore city. It is well connected by buses and metro. The park is around 120 ha. which is open on all days. The dog park area is beside State Central library. The field observations were carried out on Sunday (24.9.2017) from 8:00 am in the morning to around 9:00 am. It was a pleasant Sunday morning. There were 15 people inside the dog park area.

The dog park area is the area where dogs can be off leash. Dogs are allowed in other areas of the park too but they should be on a leash. There were people who were dog owner and there were people who didn’t have dogs but were playing with the dogs. I also took a round around dog park area and found there were more dogs on leash outside the dog park area. It raises questions as to is the dog park area not equipped or as to why do people prefer the area outside dog park.

Insights from interview

Based on my observations and I had prepared some general questions. The questions were  like, how often do they visit Cubbon Park and where else they can go. As I interviewed more people I got more knowledge which added more questions to my list like initiatives by the government and the role of NGOs. Here are some notes from interview.

How often do they visit Cubbon Park?

I interviewed 2 people out of which 1 said that he comes to Cubbon Park once a month and other said she come every Sunday and whenever there is a holiday. Here on they will be referred as respondent 1 and 2.

This was followed by respondent’s remarking that there is no other place for their house dogs. Some restaurants do allow pets but they do not provide dog food. Respondent 1 said “I don’t want to sit and eat a lavish meal while my dog is not able to eat”.  She prefers to visit TherPuP cafe in Whitefield which is a dog cafe. While other (Respondent 2) remarked that restaurants do allow them to get their home cooked food for dogs and that more and more restaurants are becoming pet friendly.

This was followed by respondent 1 informing me about a dog park area and in Whitefield which has agility equipment for dogs. I got to know that particular dog (buddy) had undergone a hip surgery and needed regular exercise. Also there is a new dog park in Domlur. An NGO called Ugly Indian have cleaned a garbage dumping area to create dog park.

When asked what can be done to improve dog park area. Both the respondents replied that the area should be increased and there should be some agility equipment. Interestingly that is the reason why people prefer to walk their dog outside the dog park area, as the dog park area is very small. Also respondent 1 told me that her dog (Buddy) is scared of other dogs and she prefers to walk him on leash outside the dog park area.

What are the initiatives by government organisations and what are their expectations as dog owner?

Respondent 1 told me that BBMP has taken up registering of dogs. In this process dog owners should register their dogs and pay fees of Rs 110/- followed by 100/- every year. This is a good initiative to keep a check on illegal breeding. She feels that since dog owner are being charged, the government can do much more than just the registration process. A good start can be allotting dog park areas in the existing parks in every locality. Both the respondents said that there should be more shelter homes for abandoned dogs and also hospitals with good doctors. As a long term initiatives we should have strict rules for abuse and abandoning of dogs.

Discussions

The aim of the study was to study dog park areas and the need of such spaces in Bangalore. This is a small study but from the field data and interviews it suggests that house dogs are an integral part of family. The dog owner or some people prefer to call themselves as dog parent, consider dogs as a family member and so it is right to say that they want their claim to public spaces. The most important insight from the study is the human animal relationship that the owner and dog shares. As respondent 1 said “they are like babies, they always want your attention”. There is a bond where the owner and pet understands each other’s needs. There is this feeling of care and love they share and it is not wrong to say that even dogs deserve a walk in the park, breathe the fresh air and get to have fun in their own way.

During the interview and from my observation an important point that rose was, is there any rules against dogs being off leash or are they not allowed in public place like malls, restaurants and parks? I observed that there were places outside the dog park area where dogs were off leash. Respondents told me that there are no strict rules and it all depends on acceptance by the society. Respondent 1 told me that she used to take her dog when it was a puppy to the mall and as it started growing in size she wasn’t permitted inside the premises, the guard told her, it is dangerous and it could bite someone. Given these situations the need of dog park is of utmost importance. It is not possible for every dog owner to commute to Cubbon Park every Sunday as the auto/cabs charge a lot for pets and also pet cab are costly.  From the study I found out as tax paying citizens with additional pet licensing fees by BBMP, the owner have some expectations from the government. The least they expect is in form of dog park area in their localities.

This study also raises an important question as to is there a divide between dog owner and people who don’t have dogs. After interviewing dog owner I am compelled to ask these same questions as to what do people without pets feel about allowing dogs in public spaces and is there a difference in views. Respondent 1 said that she had to vacate the house when she got a puppy and it took her a long and tedious house hunting process thereafter. She said “acceptance by the society can solve half the problems we face”.

The role of NGOs and BBMP is crucial. While studying the need of public spaces for dogs there are two important points that I came across:

1.      To create accessible public spaces:  TherPup dog cafe and Petboro dog park are doing a good work but it comes with a price which all dog owner may not be willingly to pay. Petboro which has dog park area charges around Rs. 200/- for 2 hours. The need to create dog park areas in existing locality should be encouraged and therefore dog owners of all income groups can have access to these areas.

2.      Dog health: The demand for public spaces is also due to the health factor. Dog owners feel that their pets need to exercise which they stay is not possible in the apartments and gated community.

This is a small study to understand the need of dog park in Bangalore. It gives a very basic understanding as to the expectations of dog owner. Based on this study,

·         We can further explore human-dog relationship,

·         Views of people on dog park area who don’t own dogs

·         To map and propose dog park areas in existing parks

Cities are moving towards rapid urbanization and with a change in our living style from independent houses to apartments, this also affect our pets. It is left to us as to how well we care and what facility we would like to provide for the animal that has been guarding us for centuries.