We want a Panhandle dog park
our Motivation
This is Cody, my three(ish) year old terrier mix. I adopted him back in January as a rescue from Mexico, and it was then that I realized he was my soul-dog. He was sweet and curious, but a little nervous, so we were taking time to grow in confidence as we explored the world together. Over the past few months, he had come out of his shell and made new friends (both dog and human), play with his toys, and get excited about new walks. He loved sniffing/running into the wind at the beach, rolling around in the grass, and shoving his butt into his friends.
On September 27th, Cody was struck and killed by a car while playing off-leash at the Panhandle. It was a walk/play session that we had repeated hundreds of times, both alone and with other dogs, but this time Cody got distracted and ran into traffic. It has been by and large the saddest day of my life, and I will never stop missing my lil bubba.
— Caitlin Stanton
our Plan
The Panhandle is a thin strip of park connected to Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Hundreds of people and animals utilize it, whether it's simply to walk across or sunbathe or throw a party. It's home to a basketball court, fitness equipment, children's playground, and open grass. It's also used by hundreds of dogs and their pet parents to run around, play, and socialize.
For NOPA residents, the closest fenced in dog park is in Corona Heights, around a mile away, and the next closest is three miles away at the end of Golden Gate Park. Alamo Square, Duboce Park, and Buena Vista are all off leash dog play areas, each near traffic (cars and MUNI) and their own combination of nature and streets. Establishing a fenced in dog park at the Panhandle would not only be a resource for dogs to run around and play, but also an opportunity for another degree of safety in the minds of pet parents.
We want to establish this dog park in honor of my Cody and for the thousands of other dogs in the present and future that will walk through the Panhandle.
We need your help!
We're always looking for people to help gather signatures, design park proposals, gather fundraising, etc.
As of 3/18/23