Stebbins said later that there are alternatives to parks as roaming ranges for pets. The director said there will be about 40 public parks where leashed dogs are allowed when the department completes a review now under way. Some places will be added and some parks now open to dogs will be taken off the list. He told the dog fans that there was already opposition from park users when a first tentative list of dog-friendly sites was proposed. Noise, smell, garbage and parking problems generated by such use are some of the objections.
People are either for it or against it.
Humane Society President Pamela Burns told the crowd 37 percent of all households on Oahu have dogs. Theresa Tilley, staff director of the state Senate Judiciary Committee, reported on a bill introduced in the last Legislature providing criminal penalties for dog owners who deliberately allow their dogs to attack people or other animals. The measure, which died in the House Judiciary Committee, is likely to be introduced again in revamped form, she said.