I am writing in response to Judy Gren's letter urging Yumans to ask the city for a dog park.
 
I recently relocated back to Yuma from Flagstaff and am quite familiar with the "bark park" she referenced there in her letter. It is a wonderful park and we took our dogs there frequently.
 
There is, however, a big difference between Yuma and Flagstaff.
 
The reason the bark park works in Flagstaff is because people do their part. It is the public who supplies the water bowls and dog toys, and picks up waste after their own pets. They also often supply the "waste" bags to grab as you enter the park to make it easy for you to clean up after your pet.
 
Now, I may be silly, but I believe if someone cannot pick up a dirty diaper after changing their child in a store parking lot, or remove their trash from a grocery cart, they're not going to pick up after their dog at a dog park.
 
I also don't believe the dog bowls, toys, etc. will last one week in the park if we cannot leave a child's toy in our front yard without it disappearing overnight.
 
I was aghast at the thought of Yuma trying to bring in a dog park. What a nightmare that would be.
 
It would be a nice thought if people acted a little more civilized here, but with the way things are going, that will not happen in our lifetime. It really is a shame.


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RHONDA GIVENS
Yuma