Bring back the Puppy Paddle!

Until last year, the Palatine Park District, along with other suburban park districts, had a wonderful event called Puppy Paddle. A lot of citizens looked forward to the day after Labor Day when we were allowed to take our dogs to the water park and let them romp to their heart's content with their human companions.

We had to submit proof that our dogs had their proper inoculations and we paid a fee which, I'm sure, covered any costs incurred by the park district.

During those five or six years, we never witnessed a fight between dogs or people. There was a lot of splashing around, fetching various toys and Frisbees and a lot a wonderful bonding between the dogs and their families. And since the pool was already closed for the season, I'm sure the park district cleaned the facility with the same professional diligence they do just about everything else.

There was no Puppy Paddle event last year. None this year. And there won't be any in future years. Why? Because the Cook County Health Department decided the event was hazardous to the health of the people who where going to use the facility eight months later and after a germ killing winter and a thorough cleaning and sanitizing.

I don't understand how the county health department has the time to pick on an event like Puppy Paddle (which apparently was approved by the Palatine Health Department) when it doesn't appear to have the same diligence with the more important issues - like doing something about some restaurants in unincorporated areas of the county that follow unsanitary practices and maintain unsanitary conditions.

So, I propose a trade. They will provide a complete report of their findings, tests and objective reasons for discontinuing the Puppy Paddle and we will provide them with a list of restaurants that need to be inspected and cited for various unsanitary practices.

They can then tell us taxpayers why Puppy Paddle took precedence over something that really matters. This is yet another example of our Cook County tax dollars being flushed into a very unsanitary hole.

Len Brauer

Palatine