5/2 Update: Now includes all off leash dog areas in the Forest Preserves of Cook County. Information below still applicable. Thank you Beck Lake members for your additional support! We are in this fight together!

The Bremen Grove dog park is a welcoming and enjoyable place for both dogs and humans. It is a 2-acre fenced in dog park, located in a Cook County Forest Preserve, with plenty of space for our fur babies to run around, explore nature and interact with their doggy friends. Since the beginning of COVID-19, members have taken extreme precautions at the park including, but not limited to, social distancing, wiping down the gates and garbage cans with disinfectant and, most importantly, keeps our dogs safe. Today, May 1st, as the county and state is reopening parks, golf courses and other places where social distancing can occur, the Cook County Forest Preserve sent members an email stating that the dog park will close until further notice starting May 2nd.

The Cook County Forest Preserve cited current CDC guidelines(1) as the reasoning for closing the park. The following key points do not contain enough scientific evidence that COVID-19 is a feasible threat for human-canine transmission:

• We do not know the exact source of the current outbreak of cononavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but we know that it originally came from an animal source.
• At this time, there is no evidence that animals play a significant role in spreading the virus that causes COVID-19.
• Based on the limited information available to date, the risk of animals spreading COVID-19 to people is considered to be low.
• We are still learning about this virus, but it appears that it can be spread from people to animals in some situations.

The last bulletin point contains data collected from a few tigers being infected at a zoo, which belong to the cat family. None of the animals have died and there is zero evidence showing that it can be spread to humans. There is one confirmed case in dogs, likely from residual viral cells in the dogs nasal cavity due to sniffing furniture, floors, etc…of the confirmed COVID-19 family. The family commented saying that he did not eat for one day but did not express any other symptoms.

Closing the park based on this select speculative data does not signal for immediate closure and we ask that the Cook County Forest Preserve reassess their call to close the Bremen Grove Dog Park. There is far more risk of exposure from the rest of the state parks, that are currently reopening.

Please take a moment to sign this petition to bring back the Bremen Grove Dog Park. We are following the rules and it brings so much joy to all of our fur babies.

(1) https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/animals.html