Animal lovers are insidious. But you already knew that. One minute you’re stalking exes on Facebook, then someone posts a video of a cat leaping into a small box and BAM! There go five productive hours.
Now they are slowly taking over parks in the city for a few hours a day, setting their bouncy wards loose for the amusement of passersby. But no one’s complaining. Many parks in the city — the one in Five Gardens, the designated one on Carter Road in Bandra, Priyadarshini Park on Malabar Hill and the various parks in New Bombay become unofficial dog parks for a few hours every evening or on weekends.
The residents of Hiranandani Complex in Powai have turned the Garden behind Papa John’s into one such happy place. Greenery is scarce in the city, and whatever tiles of it we have, we have to learn to share. No one is quite sure how it happened.
Ceaser and his guardian Ramesh Lala have been coming here for seven years, and slowly dogs from as far as Andheri, Borivali, Jogeshwari and Mulund began coming every day to socialise for two hours, and on weekends. Luckily, this is not illegal in public parks built by the BMC.
As long as you clean up after your pet — be it food or poop — and are responsible for its good behaviour (snapping dogs do not make friends), you’re okay. Around the playgroup of Sarita Banerjee’s Marley, Divya Saiprasad’s Ginger and expats King and Mary, a complex ecosystem has popped up. The dogs run and play inside the fenced park, while their parents stand by with water bottles, snacks and a watchful eye to interrupt rowdy play.
Officegoers stop on their way home to de-stress with a pet or a game of fetch. Children start off cautiously, standing on the outside the park, behind the bars and then slowly mark their favourite dogs. Many of them now have a fixed treat they must bring to “their” dogs every day.
Except hired walkers, everyone is mindful about cleaning up after their dogs, and not damaging the foliage or the park. On birthdays, a special dog cake and cups of vanilla ice cream are the norm.
The parent gang is a strong pack — they promptly made a police complaint when a resident kicked a dog while passing through. They also, for a little while, hired a cleaner to maintain the garden.
If you are looking for some place to take your dog for a rough and tumble, here’s the ideal checklist:
1. Pick timings that don’t compromise the safety of children
2. A park with a fence is ideal
3. Ensure there are no exposed wires or sharp metallic objects that could hurt the dog
4. Shaded areas, with soft mud or grass, are the best
5. Carry a drinking bowl, bottle of water, some treats, a ball and plastic bags to pick up the poop
6. If your dog is not 100 per cent social, do not leave him off the leash. Canine reputation is very delicate
Source: www.punemirror.in
pic source: barkandclark.blogspot.in/2011/10
