Some months ago a dog park was opened in Mid Harbours. Just weeks after opening, due to an unsuitable surface being laid, and ignoring the advice of the architect tasked with its design, the park was closed for weeks. Now at the petition of just a handful of neighbours, a unilateral decision has been taken to close the dog park between the hours of 11pm to 8am without consultation with users of the park. 

This affects many owners who leave for work early and especially in summer, some owners prefer to allow their dogs to roam freely in the park in the cooler hours of the late evening/early morning.

This petition has two aims, firstly to request that the Minister and his department reconsider keeping the park open 24 hours a day. We feel that the decision is a knee jerk reaction to unfounded complaints of noise at those hours and sets a precedent that may be followed in other dog parks. Furthermore, the park has contributed to a serious reduction in dog mess elsewhere on the estate and this problem is likely to increase as a result of closure during those hours.

Secondly, we would request that serious consideration be given to resurfacing the park with an adequate surface material. We are currently obtaining quotes for K9 AstroTurf to present to the Minister for the Environment. The current surface renders the park unsuitable for use during wet periods as the area becomes a muddy quagmire.

We would welcome a meeting to discuss this issue further and request that closure of the park during those hours is postponed until such a meeting can be held.