Special Announcement # 36 OK

I just went through and toggled people who have joined in the last 4
months from "no email" to "Special Announcements" as I used to do on
a monthly basis. I only do that one time per "customer". If you
want to go back to "no email" that's up to you.

From Danville Contra Costa County, California

Tom Cushing is one of the key people at the Danville dogpark and also
a member of this National-News group. There is no reason for me to
research this any further. Toms' verbatim account below lays it out
pretty clearly.

This is the 8 th dogpark fatality I've noticed since Jan 1 2004
around the country. BUTTT I am monitoring less than 100 of the
approx 1500 dogparks in the US and if anything happens at one of the
other 1400 dogparks, there is no way I would ever hear about it.

All but one of the eight involved a small dog as the victim, of a
larger dog. Most JRT's are about 12 pounds or less and they should
never be in with large dogs.

Dogpark Fatalities Since Jan - 1 2004
Washington Park Alameda, CA Feb 8 "no small dog area"
Phoenix, AZ Feb 16 "small dog in large dog area"
Paw Park, Sanford, FL Mar-9 Fluke accident with choke collar
Cooper River DP, Cherry Hill, NJ Mar-14* "small dog in large dog area"
Point Isabel, Berkeley, CA Apr-17 "small dog in unfenced nature area"
Laurel Acres, Mount Laurel, NJ May-1* "small dog outside entrance"
Stuart Park, Springfield, IL May 5 "small dog in large dog area"
Danville, CA Jul-25 "JRT collided with dog chasing ball - no small dog area"
* Approx dates

WRZ

Forwarded from:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dandog/message/83

Date: Sun, 25 Jul 2004 11:22:11 -0700
From: "Tom Cushing" <tcushing@ cbvlawsearch.com>
Subject: Accidental collision death at Danville dogpark

With a very heavy heart, I want to let you-all know that Spot, a
four-year-old Jack Russell Terrier, died this morning at the Danville
dogpark. He collided with another dog who was running for a ball.
People at the park assisted by keeping their dogs away and gently
moving him to a car to go to Bishop Ranch veterinary hospital, but
it's likely that he died nearly instantly. Spot was a frequent
visitor to dogparks, especially, I'm told, Shell Ridge area. The dog
with whom he collided was mid-sized.

If there's a lesson to take from this for the immediate future, it's
this:
if your dog is small, old or otherwise frail, please, please consider
using a small dog area like the one at Bollinger Dog Run in San Ramon
for off-leash exercise. We need to learn how to minimize the risk of
recurrence of this kind of tragedy.

I will contact the Town of Danville to see about establishing a fund
in Spot's memory, and will post details here. I do not have his
owner's full name, but if you would like to post condolences, she
will likely see them.

Tom Cushing