Unleashed in the suburbs

Doggie drinking fountains, pooper scoopers, and tennis balls are just a few of the canine-friendly amenities at off-leash dog recreational areas across the United States.

These "bark parks" allow man's best friend to roam freely, creating stomping grounds for dogs as urbanization cuts into grassy play areas and leash laws limit dog freedoms.

The decision to build a dog park often pits pro-leash and anti-leash citizens against one another in a face-off about pet owners' rights. But dog lovers insist that a park recreational setting is essential for an emotionally balanced and friendly Fido.

The United States now has more than 700 off-leash recreational areas, said Claudia Kawczynska, editor of Bark magazine.

Chicago and the suburbs are home to roughly 50 dog parks, and that number is expected to grow.

The Des Plaines Park District, for example, has been weighing adding a second dog park because its first, Beck Lake park, is at capacity.

Roselle opened a new 5,000-square-foot dog park in Odlum Park this summer, and Lake in the Hills plans to quadruple the size of its park.

"The dog park is one of the busiest parks year-round and the wear and tear is more extensive than at any of our other parks," said village Parks and Recreation Director Trudy Wakeman, who estimated as many as 50 dogs use the Lake in the Hills canine park daily.

The Lake County Forest Preserve District also has several dog parks.

And the demand for play areas is great: The Humane Society of the United States estimates that Americans own about 73 million dogs.

The dog park's origin is "fuzzy," Kawczynska said, but it is generally traced to the opening of the Ohlone Dog Park in Berkeley, Calif., in 1979.

Efforts to implement leash laws in the 1970s had one major flaw: The rule often applied to parks, Kawczynska said. During the 1980s, she said, many city officials realized dogs needed areas to roam freely.

Dog parks usually begin with a dedicated group of local residents committed to raising funds and working with city officials to establish proper regulations.

As a Berkeley city commissioner in the 1990s, Kawczynska witnessed a six-year battle over plans for a dog park. Opponents argued about dog waste (one angry resident even flagged and photographed all dog waste in the park), increased traffic and noise.

In Lake in the Hills, some nearby residents lobbied against the expansion. About 60 residents signed a petition, and in the end, the village agreed to install a landscaped buffer zone of native grasses and plants to block the view and some of the noise.

Most dog parks in the United States are built on public property and partially funded with private donations.

Some cities have debated whether to charge access fees.

Most suburban dog parks require owners to get a permit to use the park, generating some revenue.

Roselle, for example, charges residents $25 for "pooch passes" for one dog. Non-residents have to pony up $40.

Lake in the Hills has generated more than $20,000 in revenue since its park opened in 2005.

Other towns are getting away from permit fees.

Officials in Mecklenburg County, N.C., decided to drop their $35 permit at four dog parks after studying the success of unrestricted-access dog parks in Seattle; Portland and New York.

"We have discovered in our scrutiny of 'dog parks' that the liability is greater if you have controls because then people assume that everything is safe, and they expect you to make sure it's safe, and they're not as diligent as they should be in watching out for their dogs," said Michael Cozza, public information coordinator for Mecklenburg County.

But not everyone is enthusiastic about dogs running freely on public property -- especially in unfenced areas.

In Glen Ellyn, the park district tightened the rules at its dog park after an aggressive dog bit and injured another dog. In addition to registering dogs and being limited to two, the district implemented a one-strike-and-you're-out policy for aggressive dogs. The registration form also includes a release from liability.

Executive Director Cory Atwell said officials just can't take the risk of another dog or person being bit in the park.

New York City park officials long maintained an unofficial off-leash policy, permitting owners to let their dogs roam free in unfenced city parks until a lawsuit last year. The city's parks department recently established official off-leash zones with set hours.

Outside of the suburbs, some dog parks are making different rules for different breeds.

"Do you feel comfortable in a pack of Rottweilers and pit bulls?" said Robert Holden, of a New York advocacy group. "When I walk past an unleashed pit bull, I'm frightened."

The Metro-Nashville (Tenn.) Parks and Recreation Department decided in 2006 to ban pit bulls from the city's three fenced dog parks.

The ban was implemented after "extensive" research on pit bull attacks and documented evidence of local pit bull issues, said Bob Parrish, superintendent of natural resources for the department.

Although many question its accuracy, a Center for Disease Control study released in 2000 labeled pit-bull types and Rottweilers as the breeds most responsible for human deaths.