To the Editor:

As Dr. Lieberman noted in his letter (Mailbox, July 21), Princeton remains a community without a dog park. It is truly surprising that our typically generous and inclusive community, blessed with acres of parkland, has, to date, chosen to neglect the needs of Princeton’s many residents with dogs. Our dogs need fresh air and exercise, and many of us benefit from the exercise and social interactions that result from time spent outside with our dogs. However, as Dr. Lieberman pointed out, there are definite advantages of dog parks, especially when walking the sidewalks and trails is difficult or impossible due to health or weather issues.

Princeton offers many recreational options for its residents. We have tennis, swimming, skateboarding, hiking, playgrounds, baseball, and soccer. Often, many acres of Princeton parkland are empty, unused except for people walking their dogs. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if some of those people had a fenced dog park where they could gather and share information while also exercising their dogs and providing needed canine socialization experiences.

It’s time for Princeton to “get off the fence” and take action to establish a dog park. It would be a valuable addition to our recreational facilities, at minimal cost (using existing parkland, all that is needed is fencing and gates). The several thousand Princeton families who share their lives with dogs would quickly make this one of the most popular recreational facilities in the community.

Patricia Mahar
Snowden Farms Lane