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Of dogs and dog space

  “I see a similarity between dogs and me. Dogs are the true observers, walking up and down the world …”

  –  Lawrence Ferlinghetti, from “Autobiography”

  Bob Edwards is dog-crazy.

  That is to say, he is crazy about dogs. He craves canine companions. He loves the unique relationship between pooches and people. And he promotes the cause of responsible dog ownership along with the need for more places where dog owners – and their dogs – can behave responsibly, a concept perhaps needing further definition.

  Edwards is also an attorney, with a lawyerly knack for the orderly and articulate arrangement of information, arguments and ideas.

  Edwards the dog-lover and Edwards the attorney appeared together before the Sonoma City Council Feb. 6 to deliver what amounted to a manifesto for making Sonoma a more welcoming and safe community for dogs and people, minus, of course, the dog poop that people find troublesome on the soles of their feet.

  What Edwards delivered to the council was a list of 23 recommendations culled from an October public meeting hosted by SVDOG and Pets Lifeline to explore ways to improve the dog/human environment.

  The dog manifesto was in part a response to concerns raised by then-Mayor Pro Tem Joanne Sanders that the City Council should consider amending the existing ordinance governing vicious dogs. That concern was inspired by news stories about pit bulls attacking their owners. Prominent among the suggestions Edwards made to the council was the request that Sonoma be declared a “no kill” city, meaning that no dogs in the city would be euthanized unless they are suffering a terminal condition or have been adjudicated to be a

danger to public safety and alternative means to preserve their lives have been exhausted.

  Judging by a report from Police Chief Bret Sackett, it seems clear that Sonoma is virtually a de facto, kill-free city already, since the chief can’t recall a dog being put down that wasn’t terminally ill or vicious. But, we suppose, making it official makes a nice statement.

  More meaningful, we believe, were suggestions to modify the city’s vicious dog ordinance to mirror the one used by Healdsburg, that much more clearly defines vicious dog behavior and protects dogs and their owners when the pets have been taunted or tormented by others before an attack.

  We also like a whole body of suggestions promoting greater socialization of dogs, including dog behavior and safety presentations in local elementary schools and the expansion of dog-related activities that promote tourism.

  Which brings us to one of the most important, and challenging, pieces of the dog manifesto – number 18: “Expand on- and off-leash access and exercise opportunities for dogs in the city.

  If you have a dog, you don’t need convincing. There aren’t many public places you can take Pongo off-leash in the entire Valley of the Moon, and there aren’t enough places you can even walk Perdida on-leash with grass under your feet. The tennis court-sized dog park by the police station is hardly enough.

  Kudos to Edwards et al, and let’s hope the city listens.

  – David Bolling