Woman Detained During Dog Park Protest: Police

LAKE IN THE HILLS, IL — A woman who apparently did not want people to park their vehicles at a village-owned dog park during a nearby festival was detained Thursday afternoon after she refused to move her protest to a safer spot, authorities said. The Lake in the Hills Police Department was called to the Bark Park, 9027 Haligus Road, at about 4:44 p.m. July 11 for a report of a woman blocking access to the public parking area with her vehicle. She was standing on top of her car and protesting the use of a portion of the Bark Park as public parking for Ribfest attendees, according to a news release from the Lake in the Hills Police Department.

Officers spoke with the woman and asked her to move to an area where "she could protest safely without blocking the public parking area," police said. She refused and was eventually detained by officers.

She was issued a trespassing warning and turned over to a family member who agreed to get her off the property, according to authorities.

In the days leading up to the Rockin' Rotary Ribfest, which kicked off Thursday and runs through Sunday, some residents posted about the protest on the "What's Happening in Algonquin, Lake in the Hills" Facebook page. The protest, one Bark Park user said, was being organized because of the potential danger to "our dogs" from leaking antifreeze and oil from the parked cars as well as the chance of the dogs ingesting discarded chicken and rib bones or cigarette butts from the nearby Ribfest, which is held annually at Sunset Park, across the street from the Bark Park.

Those protesting the use of the Bark Park area for Ribfest parking wanted to make village officials aware of their concerns with the hopes that they would not use the park again in the future since it was not its "intended use."

The Rockin' Rotary Ribfest is put on by the Lake in the Hills Rotary Club.

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