I added this photo to the top of the petition today.  It's in response to some of the facepalm-inducing language from the opposition.

1) "There's a dog park just one block away."  Simply not true.  Daggett Park is the closest, yet it's still about 1/2 mile each way.  If you've ever walked your dog down 16th street, you've likely had to dodge broken glass, needles, shards of metal, you name it.  Regardless, look at the yellow circle overlaid on Jackson Park, which represents the actual size, drawn to-scale, of Daggett Park's dog run.  Could you imagine if all of Potrero's dog owners went there before and after work every day?  It's completely insulting to claim that this is a viable solution for dog owners.

2) In broad strokes, the green arrow represents about how far a person using a Chuck-it can throw a ball for a large dog like a Golden Retriever.  While plenty of our dogs are smaller, and plenty of large-dog owners can find ways to play in less space...it's illustrative of how completely far off base it is to claim that the yellow circle is enough space to exercise a dog.  If the opposition wonders why people in our movement are angry...just do the math. 

3) Organizations such as Friends of Jackson Park and others are working on a redesign of Jackson Park that is tentatively scheduled to break ground in 2026.  It will likely take at least 3 years to complete, based on nearby Esprit Park's own, much simpler, renovation that broke ground nearly 3 years ago.  They consider it a huge win that a tiny 2,800 square foot dog park will be added 5 years from now.  Check out the blue rectangle in the lower right, for a sense of how big this really is.  This is what 1/3 the size of a tennis court actually looks like in context.  It's even more insulting than being told the yellow circle is enough space. It's truly a facepalm-inducing claim to say that this is a win.  Just picture all of Potrero's dogs competing for this tiny space every morning and evening.  Inequitable, unfair, and unsafe for both dogs and handlers.

4) For comparison, a space that's 20 feet wide by 500 feet long, adds up to 10,000 square feet.  That is the minimum square footage mandated by SF Rec-Parks own dog policy.  The dark gray rectangle is a very rough attempt at trying to outline what that space might look like.  It assumes it's about 20 feet from the fence to the foul line, and that 500 feet would be about half the length of the park.  Even if it's not quite to scale, it's certainly a lot closer to the size of the green arrow.  And much more realistic than the tiny spaces the opposition seems to think is adequate. 

Please keep sharing this petition to your neighbors and social networks.  The current environment of harassment by rangers and park employees is simply not acceptable.  Claims that these terrible compromises are wins, are head-scratchers at best....deeply insulting at worst.

SORRY FIDO - WE AREN'T GOING ANYWHERE.  WE WON'T STOP PUSHING FOR A FAIR AND EQUITABLE SHARE OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD PARK.