Walking your dog not a walk in the park in a pandemic
Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton — “I do a loop up and down Main Street in the morning and at night before work and after work,” Boughton said about walking his dog, Ellie Mae. “... Our dog parks right now are closed, and I’m seeing if we can get them open on May 20, but I’m concerned about it.” He’s changed his routine a bit staying closer to Kennedy Flats, his apartment building, and being extra careful that Ellie doesn’t eat anything off the ground.
Christy Mattoon, of New Fairfield — To dissuade people from congregating in groups, the town of New Fairfield closed public recreation areas, including its dog park, back in March. “Initially, people who have relied on the park, both for canine as well as personal socialization, were very upset,” said Mattoon, dog park administrator. “My dog still looks at me everyday, metaphorically pointing to his ‘wrist’ around 10 a.m. as to say, ‘It’s time to go, mom,’ ” she said. Since the closure of New Fairfield’s dog park, Mattoon said people have been finding other places to take their canine companions, such as to state park trails.
Sherman First Selectman Don Lowe — Sherman doesn’t have its own dog park, but Lowe said there’s been a noticeable increase in dogs in town parks — specifically Veterans Field — since the COVID-19 crisis began. “It seems to be growing, and so are the problems,” he said. Even before the pandemic, there had been complaints in town about dogs running freely on town-owned property and handlers not cleaning up after them. Now, Lowe said, there are also social distancing and crowding concerns. “We recently had a young man bitten by a dog, and there have been several reported confrontations between dogs and their owners,” he said. If he was a dog owner, Lowe said he would not bring his to Sherman parks. “There is too much risk for trouble with other dogs and people. I’d find more open places to exercise my dog. That would be better than the parks,” he said.
Ann Astarita, of Roxbury — Astarita, executive director of the Roxbury Land Trust, said the pandemic has changed the way she walks her two dogs. “With the coronavirus threat, I try to keep away from people now and don’t interact, nor let my dogs interact with them unless we’re six or more feet away,” she said. “It’s unfortunate because it is good for the dogs, and people, to learn how to interact nicely.” Astarita said she doesn’t bring her dogs place where lots of people are likely to be. “We stay close to home,” she said.