Prospect Park is Brooklyn’s backyard: a place where dogs and their people come together every day. But right now, off-leash play is only allowed 5–9 am and 9 pm–1 am, even though thousands of nearby residents rely on the park for daily exercise and community.

For much of the year, those windows fall almost entirely in darkness. In winter, sunrise can be after 7 am and sunset before 5 pm, leaving no daylight hours when dogs can safely be off-leash. Even on the longest day of the year, sunset falls before off-leash hours begins. That limits access for working people, parents, and older adults -- and it’s out of step with how much the park is loved and used.

We’re asking NYC Parks and the Prospect Park Alliance to create one clearly marked meadow where dogs can be off-leash all day (sunrise to sunset) while keeping existing leash rules everywhere else.

This change benefits non-dog owners too: by concentrating off-leash activity in one clearly defined area, the rest of the park remains calmer, cleaner, and easier to maintain -- reducing stray waste, off-leash conflicts, and wear across shared lawns. 

This small change would make Prospect Park safer, fairer, and more joyful for everyone. It would support responsible dog ownership, strengthen our park community, and reduce off-hours violations.

If you love Prospect Park and believe all its users, two- and four-legged alike, deserve safe access, please sign and share. Together, we can make Brooklyn’s favorite park even better.

Sign now to support an all-day off-leash pilot area in Prospect Park.