In Central Park, Late Night Dog Walkers Bond Over Poop-Scooping in the Dark

It’s midnight in Central Park, and Jezebel sees no reason to go home. No, she’s not a hooker, a drug dealer, or any other sort of miscreant. Jezebel is a dog, quite a large one at that, and her owner Rick is getting impatient.

“I just got home from work,” he said. “This is really the only time I can walk her. But she just doesn’t want to leave.”

Rick is just one of an cadre of late-night dog walkers who roam Central Park with their
pets after the sun goes down. While some, like Rick, come here because of their schedules, others enjoy the freedom that the park allows at night.

In April of last year, the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation amended its leash policies to allow dogs to roam free between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m. in certain areas of most
of the city’s parks. On the Upper West Side, along the park just below 110th Street, the fields around Central Park’s Great Hill area are such dog-friendly regions.

“When the dogs can run and play together, they get a lot more exercise,” an owner named Andrew said. His Siberian Huskies, Mia and Luve, were equipped with flashing collars so he could spot them as they frolicked around the track at the Great Hill.

Dog owner Jeremy, strolling just down the slope with his miniature Pincer, Max, agreed. Not having a leash “really allows you to use the space. Besides, I live right across the street,” he said.

Indeed, almost every dog and dog owner to be found in this area is a local and a regular. “There’s always a community of people who all recognize each other, dogs and people,” Jeremy said. Like parents at a children’s playground, many of the people here know each other through their dogs. As Andrew was talking, Mia and Luve ran over to greet another dog whose owner, in turn, began to exchange jokes with Andrew.

The more liberal leash laws of the past year were a long and hard time coming. Many parks had informally allowed dogs off-leash at nights when the parks were less crowded. But in June of 2006, the Juniper Park Civic Association sued the Parks Department over its failure to enforce leash laws, citing loose dogs as a nuisance and health hazard. NYCDog, an umbrella group for many dog enthusiasts, countered that off-leash hours would have to continue unless the city was willing to build more enclosed dog runs and other canine-only exercise areas.

A remarkably heated battle ensued, in which pro- and anti-leash law groups lobbied the city, and accusations of corruption and fraud flew. The nine-to-nine policy was eventually formalized last April.

Many owners, such as Andrew, still think that the construction of more dogs runs would be ideal. “I’m very happy that the nine-to-nine policy is codified,” he said. “But it seems that dog runs are a very easy solution.” Andrew noted that in many other cites, dog owners pay for a permit that allows them to use runs, thereby financing the construction of dog facilities. “I think many people would pay for the privilege,” he said.

One of the main concerns for dogs and owners is safety. Most seem comfortable, but guarded. “As long as the lights are on, I feel safe,” Jeremy said.

In fact, when the nine-to-nine policy was established, the Parks Department noted its belief that dog owners are a major factor in “cleaning up” the city’s parks—people patrolling the parks at night with big dogs is an excellent crime deterrent, it stated in its press release.

Andrew agreed. “I would say that we [dog owners] are one of the reasons this area is safe. I’ve called the cops on a few occasions, actually,” he said.

Rick probably expressed the sentiment best. “I’ve seen some weird stuff around here at this hour,” he said. “But with a dog as big as her [Jezebel], I really don’t.”

zack.hoopes@columbiaspectator.com