Deer Park Resident Creates Petition, Urges For Dog Run In Geiger Park

DEER PARK, NY — Deer Park residents are taking action to make space for their four-legged friends.

The "Build a dog Park at Geiger Lake" Change.org petition, which has received 343 signatures as of Wednesday, aims to have a duel dated dog park built within Geiger Memorial Park.

"Currently there are many of us who walk up and down Lake Avenue which leads to the park but no place for the dogs to run and play," the petition description writes.

Karen Perrone, who created the petition in September 2021, told Patch that prior to its recent renovations, many people walked their dogs near the park's lake . But now, they are forced to walk their dogs elsewhere, and obey new signs which state that no dogs are allowed.

"They put in beautiful gardens, and it's lovely to stroll through," she said."But while they are helping everyone else, it would be nice if they didn't exclude our furry friends."

Perrone, who has a nine-year-old Havanese -Maltese mix, said that the closest dog parks near her home are at least a 15 minute drive. The distance, she said, is not feasible for all dog owners.

"I have some elderly neighbors who just can't pick their dog up and put them in and out of a car," Perrone said. "Some people just don't have the time to drive 15, 20 minutes away, to hang out in a dog park for 20 minutes just to come home."

Perrone recalled one resident who suggested she go to the Belmont Lake State Park dog run. However, patrons must pay an $8 entrance fee or have a yearly Empire Pass to access the park during the week.

"We pay so much in taxes," she said. "I don't think I should have to pay more money to be able to use the dog park."

She believes that the best space for a dog run would be where the park faces West 23rd Street. The space would include two separate dog runs — one for bigger dogs and one for smaller dogs.

"In front of the playground, there's a whole strip of grass they could easily fence," she said. "When I was talking to my neighbors and other people, they were like, 'This is a great idea you should do something about it'."

After speaking with other residents, Perrone felt a petition would be the best form of action towards creating a dog run. Once the petition gains a significant amount of signatures, she intends to formally address town officials.

For the past seven months, Perrone has actively handed flyers to dog owners, pet stores, and residents, spreading awareness of the petition.

"I literally have all these flyers in my car with the barcode of the petition to get people to sign it," she said. "Every time I saw somebody walking their dog I would stop my car and be like 'Hey, do you know about the petition?'"

In a statement to Patch, the Town of Babylon wrote:

"The use of the land at Geiger Memorial Park was determined at the start of the Town’s renovations back in 2008. The Town of Babylon will consider this petition to see if there is an area for a dog park in the nearby area.”

Until then, Perrone is determined to keep handing out flyers and promoting the petition.

"I want the people in Deer Park to be able to access what we used to have before they started the renovations," she said. "And that's just having a place for our furry friends to enjoy the grass."

To view the petition, click here.