Rye Brook Ponders Ban on Dogs at Play Fields

Dog owners who live near Pine Ridge Park or Girabaldi Park may have to walk their pets elsewhere next year.

The Rye Brook Village Board is considering amending its local animal code so that dogs would be restricted from active athletic fields.

The Village Board discussed the issue at its last meeting of the year on Dec. 15.

Rye Brook's current code states that any person owning or caring for a dog must have it on a leash at all times if the pet is not on the owner's property.

However, the village's code and signs at local parks are inconsistent. The code says dogs are allowed in parks if they are on leashes, while some signs say dogs are prohibited.

Dog owners can be fined at the discretion of a judge for not leashing their dogs. The fine is typically $25, but dog owners who have been stopped by police for violating the code are usually given a warning and asked to immediately leash their dogs, said village administrator Christopher Bradbury.

Parks and Recreation superintendent, Robert Bertolacci, has recommended Pine Ridge Park, Girabaldi Park and Rye Brook Athletic Center prohibit dogs, Bradbury said.

"Certainly dogs shouldn't be on the field areas of our ball field," Bradbury said. "I'm fine with them being in the park as long as they're on a leash."

Mayor Joan Feinstein disagreed about how the local code should be amended and clarified.

Feinstein, who said she isn't a dog owner, argued that dogs should only be prohibited in certain areas during certain months of the year.

"It's not fair to ban dog owners during the entire year," she said, adding that dog owners who live near these parks and want to walk their dogs would be at a disadvantage.

Board trustee Michael Brown said there is a sanitary issue of letting dogs on active playing fields and playgrounds where children enjoy recreational activities. He said the board should consider enhancing signs at local parks with additional language to clarify the law.

The village will bring the issue up for a vote in January.