Life Sciences Commons^™

Assessing The Validity Of Preconceptions About Dog Parks: Cleanliness And Disease Transmission, Kathleen E. Lamotte

Antonian Scholars Honors Program

When urban dog owners are not able to utilize standard exercise methods (i.e. walking on a leash or running in the backyard) there are ever-increasing numbers of off-leash dog parks that they can rely on. Some commonly identified benefits of off-leash dog areas (OLDAs) include community building, exercise for dogs and humans, and freedom for dogs. However, some identified struggles facing OLDAs include the preconceptions that OLDAs are dirty, contain aggressive dogs, and possibly spread disease. I found that these preconceptions are largely false. Also, the opinions and some general care patterns between owners who attend OLDAs and those who …