A war over whether dogs should be allowed in a San Francisco park has taken a foul turn as park rangers report that city property has repeatedly been defaced with feces and urine in recent weeks.
Gardeners have found urine pooled inside the park’s locked storage bin on four occasions over the last two weeks at Potrero Hill’s Jackson Park, according to Tamara Aparton, spokesperson for the Recreations and Parks Department.
“Unfortunately, we have had a rash of malicious (and very gross, frankly) vandalism there since we began putting up signs reminding park-goers to keep their dogs off the athletic fields,” Aparton said in an email.
She said the perpetrator has taken a calculated approach of pouring pee inside the container’s locking device — which is “fairly high off the ground, so someone would likely have to pour urine into the cylinder from a cup or something.”
“Gardeners keep their equipment here to keep the park looking nice for everyone,” Aparton said. “Not accusing a particular individual or group. Just want to shine a light on what our gardeners deal with while trying to serve the city and take care of its public spaces.”
Vandals have also repeatedly stolen and, on at least one occasion, smeared poop on signs banning dogs from the park, Aparton said.
“They lasted two weeks before all four [signs] were stolen,” she said. “We are used to managing tensions that arise from competing uses of our public spaces. Strong opinions are fine. This is not.”
Tensions among residents who live around the park have recently intensified over the use of the athletic field, with competing petitions formed on either side.
Dog owners say the park should be open to everyone — including pets — and that walking to the nearest dog park is onerous for working professionals and people with disabilities. They point out that the park is empty most of the day and say the city’s attempts to keep them off the grass come across as harassment.
“The nearest dog-friendly park is Daggett Park Dog Run, an 8-minute walk each way,” a petition, which had 990 signatures as of Thursday afternoon, reads. “Users must travel down 16th St, which is strewn with broken glass, hypodermic needles and other garbage which can easily injure dogs’ paws.”
The other side, made up of members from local sports leagues, argues that dogs should be banned from the park to spare the grass. They contend that dogs have dug holes and ruined the field’s grass with their urine, increasing the likelihood of injuries.
Moreover, they reason that the nearest dog park is less than a 10-minute walk away.
“Enough is enough. It’s time to end the unabashed sense of entitlement of the dog owners at Jackson Park,” the competing petition reads. “Immediate action is necessary given the preposterous demands of other neighbors.”
The city plans to renovate the park to add a dog run in 2028, but the competing parties say the effort is too little, too late.
“This meager space is only 28% of the minimum 10,000 square feet mandated by Rec-Parks’ own dog play-area policy, and will only be suitable for small dogs,” the dog owners’ petition reads. “The current zoning is simply wrong. It is completely out of touch with today’s Potrero Hill. It must change now.”