Published in the Beacon Hill Paper, April 28, 1998

The great dog crisis ended (with apologies to TS Eliot and to those easily offended by bad puns) not with a bang but a whimper.

As recounted in the pages of this newspaper over the last several weeks, the advent of spring saw a conflict between dog walkers and the City's Parks Department. For years, Beacon Hill dog owners have been accustomed to using the Boston Common as a place to let their dogs off leash. Over time, the practice became a social event, with dog owners clustered together during the morning and evening hours as they watched their pets frolic.

All of this is technically illegal. Boston, like many municipalities, has a leash law that prohibits dogs from going off leash anywhere within the city limits. Most of the time, the law has been safely ignored in areas like the Common, where off-leash activities have been tolerated by the city.

But, responding to some complaints from pedestrians and concerned about one section of the parade grounds, which was appearing much the worse for the wear, the Parks Department decided to begin enforcement. Dog owners were requested to leash their dogs; that request unleashed a controversy.

The great dog battle received much press and made for good television, as the major channels highlighted the matter on their news shows.

Like many of the problems of urban living, however, the dog battle was not a matter of right versus wrong, but rather of balancing interests. Understanding this, dog owners and the Parks Department sat down one sunny April day to begin to iron out a compromise.

From the city's point of view, there were three concerns. First, too many dog owners were gathering in one spot, damaging the turf covering the parade grounds. Second, some unleashed dogs were badly trained and badly behaved. Other users of the Common, including pedestrians crossing to and from work, were being intimidated by dogs jumping around and sometimes on them. Finally, many owners were failing to clean up after their dogs, leaving messes around for parkgoers to step in and park employees to clean up.

None of these, obviously, poses insuperable problems, a point to which dog owners and the Parks Department readily agreed. Too many owners and dogs in one spot? Spread them out. Unruly dogs? Have the dog owners themselves self-police, keeping the badly trained dogs on a leash. Dog messes? Clean them up; indeed, have the dog owners organize to assist in the clean up.

The meeting broke up with an agreement to continue a dialogue and for the dog owners to work together with the Parks Department on an ongoing basis.

Should dogs be allowed within the city? Absolutely. Should dogs have places like the Common where they can run free? Again, plainly yes. Should other users of places like the Common also be able to use the space comfortably? Of course.

A little discussion, some commonsense rules, and a willingness to keep an open mind — these are the hallmarks of making neighborhoods work. Here's to one instance where neighborliness won.