Description
I think people should be allowed to walk/run with their dogs across the Walnut Street Bridge. When people living on the North shore of the river want to enjoy the River Walk, they either have to choose from Veterans and Market Street Bridges instead of opting to use our wonderful pedestrian bridge. Doggy Pick-up Stations might be a good investment prior to making this change.
43 Comments
Joy (Guest)
dogfriendlychattanooga (Guest)
Justin Wilkins (Registered User)
Seeber (Guest)
Karen Roach (Guest)
Linda Rudder (Guest)
Cameron Adams (Guest)
Once I served on the board of a small non-profit whose mission was poverty relief. While we met minor challenges ourselves, surmounting greater ones required the aid of our fellow travelers. Doing so tested reserves of patience, tact and empathy all around because others brought their own methods and visions to the collaboration. Success depended on the give and take that ultimately made us better people.
New to Chattanooga, I see an opportunity to bring that lesson to bear upon the issue of reopening the Walnut Street Bridge to pets. If we may again walk our dogs across that bridge, everyone must know the value of leash laws and why waste must be picked up. Pets are but a symptom of this quality of life issue. Human attitudes underpin the problem.
I gather that some healing between the Humane Educational Society and McKamey Animal Center would be welcome. Let the Walnut Street Bridge become a metaphor for that process. The combined resources of our community shelters could provide the necessary clout and consciousness raising to ensure that return of pets to the bridge is a cause for celebration.
Anonymous (Guest)
Jumpy (Guest)
Beth (Guest)
Anonymous (Guest)
EJArthur (Guest)
Brad Mcallister (Guest)
Larry Burton (Registered User)
I moved from Chattanooga to Gwinnette Co., Ga seven years ago. Because of family I am often back in Chattanooga and I bring my dogs with me when I visit. I have gotten use to parks being open to use by leashed and well behaved dogs with responsible owners. There is little problem with people failing to pick up after their dogs here because there are reminders everywhere. I would love to be able to walk my dog when I visit Chattanooga in the same manner I do at home but there are just too many places that have been made off limits to my dog that would be open to them where I live now. I think that educating dog owners and allowing more access to public areas to dogs would go a long way toward changing attitudes about pets across the entire Hamilton County area.
Please reopen the Market Street Bridge as a pet friendly area. Everyone will benefit from this action.
Anonymous (Guest)
Judith Hughes (Guest)
doggymom71 (Guest)
sarah (Guest)
Anonymous (Guest)
Casey (Guest)
Eric (Guest)
Stacey (Guest)
Ozzy (Guest)
Carole (Guest)
Anonymous (Guest)
nekolia Burke (Guest)
Happy Yates Baker (Guest)
I agree with almost all of the intelligent, previously posted comments about making not only the Walnut Street Bridge, but also, all parts of Chattanooga, open to pets belonging to responsible people.
It is ridiculous to tout ourselves as a tourist-friendly, progressive city, to invite people to come downtown and to our area in general to spend hard-earned vacation money, then to prevent some of them from bringing with them valued members of their family, sometimes the most important members, when they come to visit!
I have had several visitors tell me that, only after arriving with their pets, did they discover they were unwelcome in our city, and that because of this situation, they were planning never to return. Imagine out of all the tourists who have come here how many, many other people have experienced the same treatment and have determined never to visit here again--or how many have read about this brouhaha online or in the papers and have decided not to come for the very same reason. That fact, alone, should spur on our Council members to see the light and change the unreasonable, unfair ruling now in effect.
In addition, according to statistics, "There are approximately 77.5 million owned dogs in the United States. Thirty-nine percent of U.S. households own at least one dog.... There are approximately 93.6 million owned cats in the United States. Thirty-three percent of U.S. households (or 38.2 million) own at least one cat ."
I assume that Chattanooga is similar to the national model in percentages of households with pets. PET OWNERS pay taxes and VOTE. Perhaps the City Council will respond to this concept. I, personally, promise right now never to vote for anyone who votes to support the current rules against pets in Chattanooga. Start a petition, and I not only will sign it, but also will circulate it.
Without trying to hurt anyone's feelings, I MUST weigh in on the idea of the compromise suggested above. It is not at all acceptable that we should put a compromise in place whereby dog owners must walk on one side of the bridge while bicyclists or those afraid of dogs travel on the opposite side.
Imagine if the lawmakers in New York City tried to institute such a ruling! People must learn to pay attention to their surroundings and be more careful, whether they are the pet owner, the one afraid of pets, or the bicyclist.
My best advice for the dog-phobic person is to look ahead as you walk and simply move a bit aside from any oncoming human with a pet. All dogs are supposed to be leashed, no matter what, so stay clear of any dog to the distance of an average leash length, and there will not be a problem, except for maybe the accelerated pounding of the fearful heart. We all have to be more aware in every way anyway, so this would be character building for all of us. If you DO happen to see an unleashed dog, find the nearest law-enforcement representative and report the infraction.
As for the problem with the bikers and the dogs interacting.... my husband loves to bicycle, so I am not advocating outlawing bikes, but when I went riding with him downtown, I tumped off my bicycle several times and nearly fell into someone, which was pretty scary for both of us. In addition, I have almost been hit by a careless biker more than once in the past. Bikers, whether riding slowly or quickly, must look ahead and be aware of the pedestrian traffic and all of their surroundings, the same way they are aware of vehicular traffic, and if someone is not as skilled a rider as they once were (like me), they should just walk the bike to a place where it is safe to ride without either hitting someone or being hit.
Oh! I know! We need a BICYLCLE LANE down the very middle of the Bridge! THAT would work! For that matter, one of your ardent bikers, get a petition started and sign me up to help pass a petition along for this--we need BICYCLE LANES on every street and highway in Chattanooga and the surrounding areas, better sidewalks, too. Don't get me started....
The idea of ADVERTISING Chattanooga as a PET-FRIENDLY (and GREEN) CITY is simply BRILLIANT and another good reason for the Council members to overturn the policy in place.
I recognize only one negative or unpleasant aspect of getting the rules changed and KEEPING them in place, of course, and one of you touched on this already--it is the fact that it will be necessary for us, who really believe in Chattanooga being a place where dogs (or cats, parrots, ferrets, whatever) are welcome city-wide, to speak up when we are witness to a transgression, to overcome our embarrassment, shyness, pride--whatever normally prevents one from speaking up--and inform pet owners who have failed to clean up after their animals of the rules in our city. The other way is simply to clean it up ourselves. I have done that many times, though instead of using a baggy, I carry a small shovel around and bury it, when I see it., though I know this is not something most people would even consider doing.
So, except for having to pay attention and speak up, I see no negatives associated with the very exciting prospect of returning Chattanooga to the category of progressive, pet-friendly cities. Post the news about this movement, get the information on facebook, start petitions, tell your family and friends, get with the dogfriendlychattanooga group, do whatever else you can think of to spread the word, and let's get this change happening, y'all!!!!!
By the way, I apologize for writing so much, but I am in bed with laryngitis, so thanks for letting me "talk" so long!
Deana H. (Guest)
Cindy (Guest)
Ed (Guest)
Roses W. Taylor (Guest)
Mom of Beagles (Guest)
Charm (Guest)
Donna (Guest)
Leslie Stout Baubach (Registered User)
Court Rutherford (Registered User)
justme (Guest)
Linda Rudder (Guest)
In response to Court R., I'm a retired school teacher that learned the best way to teach children was to make them responsible learners and citizens in the classroom. If they had no desire to learn and weren't able to accept each and every classmate (whatever their differences were), then it would be an uphill climb for them at all times. As responsible Chattanooga citizens, we have to accept that everyone doesn't think the same way we do. We shouldn't have to live in a segregated society or heaven forbid - stay at home, just because we enjoy a different lifestyle. I, personally, am willing to do as much as I can to allow other Chattanoogans and tourists who love dogs, cats, riding bicycles, or even birds (as much as I do despise those pigeon droppings on the bridge) to appreciate the beautiful city where we live.
Happy Yates Baker (Guest)
Thanks and greetings to all of you who are interested enough to continue watching this site and take time to post your opinions, even if they are not of the same ilk as mine, though it does thrill me to see such a great outpouring of support for allowing animals back into all Chattanooga public spaces, as WELL AS ON WALNUT STREET BRIDGE.
Thank you, Linda, for your well wishes for my recovery. It took several weeks, but I am finally up again, talking as much as ever, and should be working on drawings rather than on "talking" here, but the issue is too important to remain silent.
Court, I feel compelled to address a specific point that you brought up--that since you do not like dogs, you do not think they should be on the bridge (or in any other public place, I assume from your posting) with the exception of service dogs. Unless I am completely mistaken, I do not think even service dogs are allowed on Walnut Street Bridge, though I defer to others who are more current with the code restrictions than I.
I understand, Court, that you may have issues with canines, and I understand how important cats are to cat lovers. I am one of those lucky people who responds positively to ALL ANIMALS, from dogs and cats to pigs and horses, and to every animal in between, and I enjoy the company of birds, rodents, and reptiles, as well. Watching shows on wild animals brings tears to my eyes, and reading animal stories was always a favourite pastime of mine as a child, so it is difficult for me to have empathy for your condition, though I can sympathize. However, I want YOU to be able to WALK YOUR CATS anywhere you want to take them, and I want tourists who travel with their felines to have the same opportunity! With the rules in place, I would think that every kind of animal is barred from this privilege currently. Does anyone out there know?
And, Court, though I said it earlier, I will repeat, my best advice for the dog-phobic person is to look ahead as you walk and simply move a bit aside from any oncoming human with a pet. ALL PETS MUST BE LEASHED in an urban setting, and you are safe from any interaction with them, as long as you pay attention as you walk. In addition, as long as dogs are leashed, and the owners, also, are paying attention, dog fights will be non-existant, as well as contact with humans who wish to avoid them. It is pretty easy to tell, when out with one of my animals, who wants to stop and pet them and who wants to stay clear of them.
Please understand that with more and more residential spaces opening in downtown Chattanooga--something that many of us have worked for years on accomplishing, in an ongoing effort to improve the quality of life in this city--it is essential for all areas of the city to be OPEN TO ANIMALS, ESPECIALLY the bridges that serve to connect both sides of "downtown", especially the WALKING BRIDGE that is safer to use and friendlier to humans than one of the other bridges, and especially the PARKS! The idea that these spaces should forbid the presence of animals is patently absurd, if Chattanooga wants to advance into the 21st century as a city. As I pointed out in my earlier posting, imagine the city officials of MANHATTAN or Chicago putting rules into place that would forbid animals on certain streets or bridges!!!
In addition, and not that anyone cares, but my first husband and I, along with all of our friends and scores of other young people back then (we're all pretty old today), started the historic preservation movement in Chattanooga, as a way of helping to bring about the renaissance of this city, as a way to bring humans AND their pets back to LIVE in the city. Garnet Chapin, in particular, who practically lay down in front of the wrecking ball to keep the Walnut Street Bridge in place, and who definitely was the architect, not only of the finanacial concept as well as of the plan that restored the bridge, while my ex, Dwight Baker, worked on the restoration (I think it was as foreman of the actual work) and Andy Smith worked with Garnet, would never have conceived that the bridge would be closed to dogs! I know that I can speak for all of the hundreds of people who helped start the movement to restore the bridge: NONE of us support this regulation that prevents dogs from accompanying their owners on the Walnut Street Bridge.
Please speak to your representatives. Make them aware that there are thousands of people who will not vote for them if they continue to uphold these Draconian rules!
Thank you for listening, all of you! And please let us continue to work to change these rules!!!
Happy Yates Baker
Melodie (Guest)
Happy,
I agree with you. This segregation of people with dogs is ridiculous and this city needs to make a lot of changes. Bicyclists don't have proper lanes for going anywhere.
When I ran the Presido 10 miler in San Francisco in March there were dogs, runners, walkers, cyclists, kids everywhere and not a pile of poop (dog or human) to be found!
Jes & Bud (Guest)
KN (Guest)
I think this will probably do the trick:
http://www.thefuntheory.com/2009/12/16/poopoo-monsta
The element of entertainment would encourage interaction (across all age groups)...even if it means having to scoop poo to play.
Closed Mark McKnight (Guest)