Princeton resident Calvin Chin has begun a petition calling on Princeton officials to allow dogs to be off leashes in some Princeton parks during certain hours of the day.
The municipality does not allow dogs to be off-leash in public parks, and the town does not have a dog park. At least three council members promoted the creation of a dog park in town when campaigning, but a dog park never materialized. Plainsboro, West Windsor, and Pennington all have dog parks. Mercer County also operates the Mercer County Bark Park at the Mercer County Park in West Windsor.
“Dogs (and their owners) would welcome the opportunity to gather in community, and allow their pets to run free with each other,” reads the Change.org petition for off-leash hours in Princeton parks that has been signed by about 300 people as of Oct. 25.
“The pandemic has highlighted how important it is to provide outdoor spaces for people to gather in community. Many cities (e.g., Brooklyn) have prescribed areas and times which allow dogs to be off-leash,” reads the petition. “We request that Princeton designate specific areas and hours where dogs can be permitted off-leash.”
The Princeton Council was slated to discuss the issue at the council’s public meeting on Zoom Monday night, but the issue has been pushed back to the council’s Nov. 8 agenda.