OAKLAND, Calif. —
The debate over dogs is heating up at one Oakland park. City ordinances ban dogs from William Wood Park in Oakland's Dimond neighborhood, but that doesn't stop dozens of dogs and their owners from frequenting the park every day.
Some neighbors say they turned a blind eye to the dogs for years, but recently the number of off-leash and overly active dogs have made the park unusable for most park visitors.
Peter Weil and his wife run a daycare that backs up William Wood Park. Weil says his wife has spent years volunteering to clean up the park, but that now she cannot take the kids she cares for to William Wood.
"Because the parents are nervous about us taking children or infants or very young children down to where there are dogs off leash," said Weil.
Neighbors described a number of frightening incidents to KTVU. One homeowner says he saw a man caught in the middle of a massive dog fight involving at least five dogs. Neighbors say he turned out to be all right following the incident, but that others haven't been so lucky.
Weil says off leash dogs don't even need to be aggressive to be dangerous.
"Our neighbor across the street has been run into by a dog, and had one of his tendons partially torn and he was just run into by a rambunctious friendly dog," said Weil.
But dog owners say the park is convenient, and usually a safe place for the dogs to run and play. Kevin Stenger says he brings his 2-year-old pit-bull, Grumpy, to William Wood regularly, and that he's never had a negative interaction.
"I'm not harming anyone, my dogs not. He's a good dog, I should be able to use the park if I want to," said Stenger.
He says as a responsible dog owner, he intends to keep bringing Grumpy here.
"Everybody should be responsible, you know what I mean? But, he's a good dog, he doesn't make it hard on me, that's for sure," Stenger said.
The neighborhood is planning on holding a meeting at the park on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m., trying to hammer out a solution. Neighbors say Oakland police will be on hand.
Staff for Noel Gallo, the Oakland City Council member for that area, say the council member will also try to attend.
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