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Susan King

DogPAC Questionnaire
District 5

1. What have you done on behalf of the dog owning community and what will you do in the future?
   

   I co-habitate with an indoor cat, so my experience advocating for dog owners is limited to my interactions with dog owning friends. My friend, Carolyn Murphy, is one of the original founders of SF Dog, and I gave her some advice on setting up an advocacy group when they were just starting to meet. In the future, I am willing to work with the dog owning community to develop policies that both protect SF's environment and provide adequate space for dogs to run off leash..

2. The only real oversight mechanism the Board of Supervisors has with regard to the operating departments is the power of the purse: that is, the Board must approve the budget. Would you be prepared to withhold portions of a Department's budget if the Department was managing the money poorly, reporting to the Board inadequately, or failing to develop reasonable public consensus? Please describe.
   

   I believe that the Supervisors must demand more accountability from Departments when allocating budgetary resources. Absolutely I would want full reporting and accountability for how funds are allocated and spent. I would also want more oversight into the budget around major projects like the museum and garage projects in Golden Gate Park, one of which (the garage) is currently managed by a non-profit that is not accountable to elected officials or the public, I would want greater oversight and stronger sunshine laws applied. Park funds should be fully accounted for, especially given the major issues with park maintenance and the fact that 150 gardener spots remain unfilled.

3. Currently, the Recreation and Park Department has 10-15% of the city's playing fields locked up and chained shut. RPD is in the process of claiming hundreds of acres of parkland as natural habitat areas where public access will be very restricted if allowed at all. Critics have said that the goal of the Rec & Park Department is Parks without People. Will you work to promote public access to public parkland? How?

   The locked facilities in our parks are due to budgetary restraints, and the resolution to this is to work with the Rec and Park and the City to identify funds to open these fields for use. One potential source of Rec and Park funding is to charge (and collect) user fees for promoters who have large-scale events in our public parks. Often, these corporate sponsors are either under charged or not charged at all for the use of our parks. Funds collected could be put into the maintenance of our parks.

   The other issue is the Natural Areas Program, which allocates 500 acres of parkland as a Natural Area. Dogs are allowed in these areas, with restrictions intended to protect the habitat. I think that there is a balance that can be reached between the folks who advocate for the preservation of Natural Areas and the dog owners.

4. Will you work to promote tolerant, multi-purpose, shared-use of parks? How?

   Yes, I support multi-use parks and recreation areas. I advocate collecting dog licensing fees to fund rehabilitation for dog areas and using these fees to provide direct funds to restore areas frequented by dogs. Funds could be used to build attractive fencing to keep off leash dogs out of sensitive habitat and fund additional maintenance staff dedicated to providing well maintained off leash dog areas. Non dog owners and dog owners will both benefit from having nicer parks. This will enable us to expand off leash areas while still protecting habitat.

5. Most of us believe that it is reasonable to regulate certain incompatible uses of public spaces. For example, most of us would agree that horses should not be allowed on the golf course and dogs should not be allowed in children's playgrounds. Would you feel differently if you discovered that the dogs in a children's playground belonged to the parents and their kids?

   I think that there needs to be facilities for both kids and dogs, although I have neither (so I am not an expert on what the needs are). People with both children and dogs should be provided with places for the entire family to recreate. However, fenced in children's play areas, like the ones in Golden Gate Park's Sharon Meadow and at Duboce Park, should remain off limits to dogs, as they are very small enclosed areas, and dogs have the run of the areas outside of the fencing.

6. Do you think the Recreation and Park Department provides adequate public process for park policies? Would you be willing to intervene in Rec/Park business if there were inadequate public process?
   

   I do not think that Park and Rec. has adequate input. The citizen advisory councils have NO authority, and serve to take the heat from the public without any real decision making abilities. Park use differs from area to area, and residents nearby each park should have an opportunity to give input on how the parks in their areas are developed. I would be willing to intervene on behalf of citizens regarding park use if needed. I am very active in issues involving Golden Gate Park, and am familiar with how Rec. and Park operates, and how the community input process is flawed.

7. Have you ever visited on or more of the original 19 dog exercise areas approved by the RPD over 20 years ago? Which ones? How would you characterize the conditions you saw?

   Yes, I use the parks in my areas frequently, and often accompany friends who have dogs. I go through Duboce Park regularly on my bike. I also go out to Fort Funston to walk friend's dogs. I like the doggie bag dispensers and the special watering bowls for dogs. Both areas could use more restoration, especially on the areas where dogs run, and Fort Funston (which is Federal land), could use fencing to keep dogs out of habitat areas. Fencing should be attractive wooden fences that blend in with the natural surroundings.

8. Statistics show that children are more likely to grow up with a family dog than with both parents; that dog owner/guardians have lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels; and that elderly pet owner/guardians are more active and less depressed. Do you believe that dogs play an important role in society? What is your personal experience with dogs in your life - now or in the past?

   I believe that pets are companions that are healthy for us to be around. While I am a cat person, and think that whatever kind of pet you have, they are important companions. Most of my partner's have had (or do have) dogs, and I enjoy being around them and encourage my partner to bring their dog to my house and develop a relationship with my cat. I have pictures of my cat and my former boyfriend's dog sleeping together.

9. San Francisco's dog population is estimated by the Dept. of Animal Care and Control to be between 100,000 and 120,000. Roughly 25% of the city's households includes a dog. Many dog owner/guardians are single and/or elderly, and recreation with their dog is their primary or sole form of socialization, recreation and exercise. Do you believe that off-leash recreation can be viewed as a benefit for people - not just for their dogs?

   I believe that dogs have a right to run free in certain areas of the city. Dogs are part of our society, and their well being is important to all of us, not just their owners. I strongly believe that there needs to be assigned areas for off leash dog use, and these areas need to be accessible to residents throughout the City, the areas should be adequate for the animals to recreate freely. If there needs to be more areas, the community should be brought in to identify ideal areas, discuss any negative impacts with the community (including the Natural Areas folks), and mitigation should be determined. Funds from a more aggressive licensing program could be used to provide needed mitigation to expand dog run areas.

10. Do you believe that walking a dog off-leash is a valid form of recreation on a par with picnicking, Frisbee, hiking, bird watching, soccer, etc.?
    

    Yes, dog walking is a valid form of recreation. Since we live in a relatively small city, however, we do need some laws to govern when and where this behavior is appropriate. Parks are an ideal place for this, although there may be some areas requiring a leash en route to the off leash areas.

11. What positive things do you see about off-leash recreation in our parks?

    Off leash recreation for dogs is vital for their health and well being, and their owners and families. There should be adequate places for off leash dog use throughout the City.