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courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’
So much for the dog days of summer. As of August 1, Montgomery County will require a permit for the use of its five dog parks. Permits will cost an annual $40 for the first dog and $5 for each subsequent dog. Any dog found romping without a permit will incur a fine for its owner by the park police.
The permit fees are designed to generate funds for the county’s beleaguered Department of Parks, which is facing a proposed 17.5% cut in their requested budget for FY 2011. The new permits are expected to generate roughly $40,000 for the department each year.
Need a permit for your pooch? You can download a form at the Montgomery Parks dog parks page.
Sorry, but this is rediculous. My taxes already pay for the dog parks. Basically, I’m being charged again for what I already pay for. And why don’t we charge for public parks that people take their children to? Why are dog parents singled out? I am so tired of all this hypocrisy. If Montgomery County cannot afford to maintain parks with the funds it already receives, ALL parks should transition to a pay-for-play structure. If you want to visit a park (be it alone or with your dog or children), you should have to pay an entrance fee. If every person paid just $1 for each person/canine entering a park, it would more than cover the costs of maintaining the parks.