The Fight is Over: the GGNRA Rolls Over!
After a 14-year battle to protect the rights of dog parents in the GGNRA, the National Park Service has withdrawn the proposed dog management plan. Here is the latest from Sally Stephens, San Francisco Dog Owners Group:
“The withdrawal of the Park Service’s proposed dog plan means that recreational access to this urban recreation area will continue to be protected.
People will continue to be able to walk with their dogs on the lands in the GGNRA on which they’ve walked for generations.
The National Park Service’s withdrawal of the dog plan that they had spent decades and millions of dollars trying to implement was an official acknowledgment that the process was so fatally flawed — as shown in the Woofieleaks emails — that the dog plan that resulted from the process was itself fatally flawed and had to be abandoned.
This is a great victory for people who enjoy walking with their dogs in the GGNRA.”
Founded in 1976 by a group of friends, SFDOG organized more formally in 1997 in reaction to the closing of Ocean Beach in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area to off-leash recreation. While continuing to work for off-leash recreational opportunities for responsible dog owners/guardians and their companion animals, they have expanded their mission to include a variety of programs designed to educate the people of San Francisco about dogs and their place in our culture.
SFDOG works with dog owners/guardians about what it means to be a responsible dog owner/guardian. They help non-dog owners understand dog behavior to alleviate any fears or misconceptions they may have. They educate elected and appointed officials about dogs and the benefits of off-leash recreation. They share the “joy of dog” with others, and provide a central clearinghouse of information about neighborhood dog groups, responsible dog ownership/guardianship, and off-leash recreation.
