New proposed law would welcome dogs to New York state parks

Alright, so we all know how the government works when it comes to passing new bills or laws, right? New bills are introduced, eventually voted on in both the House and the Senate, and if approved in both bodies, they can be sent to the president or governor and signed into law. The process can get a bit trickier at points, but that’s the general idea.

In New York state, the process is a little different where new bills are voted on by the state Assembly and Senate. Anyway, that very basic description of how a law becomes law brings us to today, where New York State may soon pass new legislation allowing dogs access to state parks.

What are the details of the possible new dog legislation?

First of all, I have to be honest, I didn’t know that most state parks don’t allow owners to bring their dogs to the park. In any case, this proposed new legislation would see owners be able to bring their dogs to state parks and even beaches. As with any legislation, this new law would have its own rules to follow.

For starters, owners would need to keep their dogs on a leash and supervise them at all times. Second, all dogs must be up to date on their vaccinations. Violations of the law can leave people subject to a fine(s).

The proposed new legislation would obviously have some implications for state parks as well. According to the article patchparks must provide “biodegradable trash cans and trash bags” as well as “dog grooming stations” for patrons who bring their dogs.

Finally, in terms of this legislation, two New York state parks would not be subject to these laws even if they were passed. Those two parks are adirondacks and cat ability State Parks.

Concerns about the new legislation

As with almost anything, there are some concerned about the possible new law. The number one concern was that unfortunately not all owners “clean up” after nature calls their furry friends and with good reason. We’ve all been there before and that’s a surprise no one wants to intervene.

Second, there were also some concerns that areas in certain parks may act as nature reserves for endangered wildlife. However, this problem has been addressed with legislation according to Senator Mónica Martínez. via Fox stated…

The New York State Parks Commissioner may restrict certain areas of parks and beaches for the protection of park visitors, the natural landscape, and endangered birds/nesting sites.

Senator Martinez of Bay Shore is one of the people who introduced this bill to Albany, as well as Assemblyman Steve Stern of Melville. The bill appears to have support, as Assemblyman Stern believes it should pass in a matter of weeks.