The NYCDog volunteers have been hard at work getting petition signatures and informing people about the state of off-leash affairs.
We commend their efforts and heartily urge you to contact the health department right now with your thoughts on off-leash recreation. The hearing on this issue will happen on November 1st at 125 Worth Street in Manhattan. (Only 11 days from now).

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October 17, 2006

Dear NYC Off-Leash Hours Supporter:

Re: FINAL 2 WEEKS - SAVE NYC PARK OFF-LEASH HOURS
Thank you for previously signing the online petition to continue the successful 20-year policy of 9pm-9am Off-leash recreation in NYC parks.
As you may know, this petition was circulated in response to a lawsuit against the City that threatens to end the off-leash hours. While we continue to fight this lawsuit, we’re doing much more to preserve the off-leash hours.
Today, we need your help!
We are proactively working to actually amend the existing Health regulations so that the off-leash hours policy is clarified.
Doing so will undercut the lawsuit against the City, and hopefully protect the off-leash hours policy for years to come. In fact, we hope that if the regulations are amended, a ruling on the lawsuit might not even happen.
We’re in the final stretch.. Today, we need your help!
We have just two weeks left to make our voices heard to save the Off-leash hours policy for all NYC parks (and dog runs), or we might lose it forever.

Here’s a quick summary of major events:

* A State Supreme Court judge heard oral arguments on the lawsuit seeking to end Off-leash hours policy on August 29th and said a judgment would be coming. This legal judgment could end Off-leash hours in all NYC parks—permanently.

* However, both the NYC Health and Parks Departments support the current Off-leash Hours policy and the City announced in court that it would seek to amend the “Leash Law” (which are individual Health and Parks regulations) to render any court judgment moot.

* The Health Department began a 90-day public comment period in mid-September. A public hearing to consider an amendment to the Leash Law that would save Off-leash hours is scheduled for November 1st. But there’s no guarantee that the amendment will be adopted.

* That’s why we need your help!

There are two things you can do TODAY to help save the Off-leash hours policy for years to come:

1. EMAIL THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT - Send an email to the NYC Board of Health telling them why the 20-year Off-leash Hours policy has been a public health success. Click here to send a pre-addressed email to the Health Board
* Visit www.nycoffleash.com and follow the directions for sending an email to the Health Board.
* Please remember that the Health Department is on our side, but needs to hear support from the public.
* Please keep your letter polite, concise and focused on the public health benefits of the Off-leash Hour policy (you’ll be provided with some suggested points). Your email will be entered into the official public record.

2. TELL YOUR FRIENDS - Forward this email to at least five of your friends, family, co-workers, or acquaintances who live in NYC to spread the word.
*Print out this page and give a copy to your trusted dog-owner friends that you see each morning. They may not know about what is going on, but if they are responsible dog-owners who care about exercising and socializing their dogs off-leash, they may want to weigh in as well.

We only have two weeks left!

We need your help to influence the decision of the Board of Health so that they adopt the amendment to the “Leash law” that will render the lawsuit inert.

Full information, including the language of the proposed amendment, is located at: www.nycoffleash.com.
Your five minutes today could make the difference that will allow your dog an hour of off-leash exercise tomorrow.
Please email the Board of Health today!
Thank you for all that you’ve done and continue to do so that we can win this fight!
We want you to continue to responsibly exercise and socialize your dog off-leash in NYC parks from 9pm-9am.

Your email can make it happen!

Matthew H. Parker

New York Council of Dog Owners Groups (NYCdog.org)
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