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I am moving to Durham from Houston, TX next month (yay!). I haven't been to Durham as an adult, so I'm trying to soak up as much info as possible!
I am looking at some of the downtown loft conversions - I figure if I'm new to the city, I should start where the action is! Several of them seem fairly pet-friendly, which is good news. But how dog-friendly would you say Durham is? In Houston, there are many restaurants and coffee shops that allow dogs on their patios...
How dog-friendly is downtown? Would I be able to take my pup for walks, etc. and not have her be out of place? Any cafes that will let her sit at my feet on the patio?
An absolutely ridiculous ordinance was recently passed that required 200 square feet of unobstructed space PER DOG for an enclosure to contain your pet. If your dog is under 20 pounds, you can get by with 100 square feet.
An absolutely ridiculous ordinance was recently passed that required 200 square feet of unobstructed space PER DOG for an enclosure to contain your pet. If your dog is under 20 pounds, you can get by with 100 square feet.
An absolutely ridiculous ordinance was recently passed that required 200 square feet of unobstructed space PER DOG for an enclosure to contain your pet. If your dog is under 20 pounds, you can get by with 100 square feet.
If the city of Durham is requiring dog owners to provide a minimum of 200 sq. ft. of space per dog, that sounds dog friendly to me. If people must keep dogs in confined spaces for an extended period of time, the space should allow the dog the opportunity to move around.
I'm thinking not so much about rules about my own caring for my pet (my dog has lots of square feet in my home). I'm wondering more about dogs in public spaces...
QUOTING: "If the city of Durham is requiring dog owners to provide a minimum of 200 sq. ft. of space per dog, that sounds dog friendly to me. If people must keep dogs in confined spaces for an extended period of time, the space should allow the dog the opportunity to move around.
Our three dogs are in the house."
As the law is written, you are not providing each dog 200 sq.ft. of unobstructed space, and therefore are not in compliance. As another example, someone who has a big fenced backyard, but perhaps confines the dog to a smaller kennel run while away from home, is also breaking the law. The law makes no distinction about dogs that are housed in smaller enclosures for limited periods of time, such as while the owner is at work, school, etc., even if it's done for the dog's comfort and safety. It's a bad law because it can be selectively enforced.
To get back to the original question -- there are nice parks in the Triangle area where you can walk your dog. Most Panera Bread restaurants have outdoor patios that are not enclosed and can accommodate dogs, but you have to leave your dog to go inside to order. Brixx at Brier Creek (near Durham) has outdoor tables where the servers come out to take food and beverage orders. They are friendly and bring water for the dogs.
QUOTING: "If the city of Durham is requiring dog owners to provide a minimum of 200 sq. ft. of space per dog, that sounds dog friendly to me. If people must keep dogs in confined spaces for an extended period of time, the space should allow the dog the opportunity to move around.
Our three dogs are in the house."
As the law is written, you are not providing each dog 200 sq.ft. of unobstructed space, and therefore are not in compliance. As another example, someone who has a big fenced backyard, but perhaps confines the dog to a smaller kennel run while away from home, is also breaking the law. The law makes no distinction about dogs that are housed in smaller enclosures for limited periods of time, such as while the owner is at work, school, etc., even if it's done for the dog's comfort and safety. It's a bad law because it can be selectively enforced.
Actually, if the poster's dogs are in the house, then she/he is in compliance. The ordinace applies to outdoor enclosures.
I have found Durham to be quite dog-friendly. There are two dog parks in Durham too.
People should pay attention and read what their council people are voting on.
The ordinance defines as animal abuse:
Allowing animals to live in crowded conditions (less than 100 square feet of unobstructed area per each animal weighing 20 pounds or under, less than 200 square feet of unobstructed area per each animal weighing greater than 20 pounds.)
It does not distinguish between indoors and outdoors.
This kind of bad law enables selective enforcement.
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