Maybe the reason you have not seen dog owners with bags is because it is in their pockets and they only take it out when they have to use it, kind of like a wallet, Dog waste is not a problem at this park. .
With all the problems New Haven has ticketing the dog owners at Brewster has got to be a very low priority. The police have more important things to do.

I can't comprehend why otherwise respectable citizens (like I'm sure Richard Cohn is) think it is okay to disregard clearly stated park rules. What other local laws and regulations do they choose to ignore? Do they drive the wrong way on one way streets because it is more convenient? Do they throw trash out the windows of their cars? Do they put all their recycling and trash together because separating is too much work?

The best solution would be to have specific hours where dogs are allowed off leash. Perhaps 7-9am and 7-9pm. Any dogs off leash at other times would be permanently banned from the park.

I would support dogs off leash from 7-9:00 am, but not in the evenings because I like going to the park after work. But then I thought that runners would like to use the park in the mornings, so now I'm not sure... I think if people think it's okay for dogs to be off-leash now, they will think it's okay to be off-leash "just after 9:00am" or "just before 7:00pm."

Many people with dogs go to the park which I think makes it safer because if someone goes to the park with bad intentions they will think twice if they see a group of people there with dogs.

There are clearly marked signs at all entrances to the park stating that DOGS MUST BE ON LEASH. Besides this being a park rule, there is also a Leash Law in New Haven and owners are liable if their dog injures a person, child, or another animal. One of my major issues with people ignoring this law in Edgerton Park is that when you kindly ask them to put their dog on a leash, they not only ignore you but also act really annoyed and are rude 9 out of 10 times. I have small children who are afraid of dogs and we use the park a lot. My brother-in-law was just bitten by a labrador retriever while walking in NY, which goes to show that all dogs are not friendly. It's a real issue that needs to be addressed. If people think the New Haven Police have more important things to deal with (and I agree there are drugs and gangs are at a completely different level) then citizen who use the park must start following the rules and the laws. Otherwise, they should be fined and treated like anyone else who thinks it's ok to break the laws.

Ederose

You wrote " My brother-in-law was just bitten by a labrador retriever while walking in NY, which goes to show that all dogs are not friendly". To take this one incident and say dogs are not friendly is wrong.
It is sad that your children are afraid of dogs but I would not be surprised if isn't your view of dogs that is causing this.

XYZ - no need to start insulting people. This really takes away from the issue that was initially posted. I'm fine with dogs in the park and dogs in general (I grew up with one, as did my husband.) I would just like to see owners keep their dogs on a leash as the law states. The law is there for a reason. For those who insist on running their dogs off leash, please use one of the many dog parks throughout New Haven. If you want to take a walk through Edgerton Park, keep your dog on a leash. It's pretty simple.

Ederose
What did I say that was insulting?

I am sorry that you feel insulted.

I agree with Ederose.

XYZ, yes, some people are afraid of dogs. Other people simply don't like dogs. People are members of the general public, and this is a public park with a leash rule that ensures the comfort of all members of the public.

Dogs, no matter how well behaved, can get spooked and behave inappropriately, so they need to be on a leash.

On one occasion, I was walking with my mom who used a walker. A jogger ran by with a dog that was off leash. What if that dog whipped around a corner & bumped into my mom? Fortunately, it was on a straight path and that didn't happen. Alternatively, my mom (who was indeed nervous seeing the dog) could have become very startled & could have fallen while trying to avoid the dog.

But what if the "gentleman" with the dogs who had their leashes dragging behind them had encountered my mom that day & the dogs' dragging leashes got tangled in her walker? Or around a baby carriage? That is why dogs need to be on leash & held in control by their owner.

Again, there a dedicated dog parks for dogs to roam. Owners could also fence in their yards and play with their dogs on their own property.

oops, last paragraph should read "...there are dedicated...

The dog owners who go to the park are in general respectful citizens. If they stop going to the park someday you may wish they are there when some undesirables are there and you are the only one else there. Think about it.

The dog owners who go to the park are in general respectful citizens. If they stop going to the park someday you may wish they are there when some undesirables are there and you are the only one else there. Think about it.

Dogs on leash are fine.

Obviously you are special a very special person (as is/are your dog(s)) and you will never agree that dogs belong on leashes as required.

My point is if people start getting tickets because their dogs are off leash they may stop going to the park and there may come a day when you are the only one there other then some undesirable characters. You may wish then that the dog people were there.

Hmm, I closed a couple of months ago, and am trying again...