James B. Dudley Park - Exercise and Dog Park

This petition, supported by the undersigned, is directed to the Mayor, City Council, Community Service and Park Officials of the City of Wilmington, NC. It's goal is to support the construction of an enclosed, off-leash dog park (to include a small exercise area for community residents) at 924 N. 6th St., a centralized, convenient location for the Brooklyn/Northside neighborhood.

This park would be a designated area where residents and their well-behaved canines can socialize and exercise in a clean, safe environment. We want to create a beautiful, well-maintained space open to all dog lovers and friends who will be willing to uphold the park’s rules and restrictions. This park will be designed to satisfy the needs of dog-owners and non-dog owners alike. We aim for this park to be a community project.

The success of dog parks all over the country demonstrates that they can thrive and enrich a community. Property values near dog parks increase and sometimes significantly. Parks increase the livability of a neighborhood and provide for a better sense of community. The more parks a city has, and the more variety of parks a city has, the higher its property values tend to be. Moreover, research shows a great reduction in crime in neighborhoods with dog parks.

Therefore, we are asking the City of Wilmington to allow the construction of a dog park for the following reasons:

- There is not a current public dog park in our area to accommodate safe, off-leash dog activities.

-Having such a park located on the 924 N. 6th St. City owned and currently abandoned lot would promote better use of this land and deter crime through higher foot-traffic.

- This park would increase opportunities for residents to interact with their neighbors and help create a sense of community.

- Many dog owners do not have a yard where their dogs can spend time outside.

- Socializing dogs is very beneficial to the community, since it makes them less skittish and can mitigate aggressive behavior when meeting other dogs and people.

Please, help us create a dedicated space that allows our residents to exercise their canines and themselves, at the same time being a benefit to the community as a whole!