NEW YORK - It may have been raining “cats and dogs” earlier in the evening Monday, but after months of anticipation a little rain couldn't keep dogs from “pouring” in to the Peter Detmold Dog Run later on.
This is the first time in more than three months dogs and dog owners have been allowed back here.
For Matt Stomberg and his dog Blue, it was their second time back since the Midtown dog run reopened only hours earlier.
“We came at 9 o’clock this morning. We saw another dog here that he knows and its great to be able to get back out here," said Matt Stromberg, a dog owner.
Pet owners have had to keep their four legged friends on a short leash since early April. That’s when the Parks Department locked up dog parks and runs in an effort to curb human transmission of coronavirus cases.
When the city started to reopen, residents like Alicia Cruz hoped Mayor Bill de Blasio would throw dog owners a bone. She and many others assumed off leash areas would reopen in Phase Two with city playgrounds. That was not the case and they had to settle for a July 6th reopening.
“I think people are much more educated about wearing masks. We know more about social distancing about washing your hands about watching what you touch," Cruz said.
Those who couldn’t wait learned the hard way that the city wasn't all bark and no bite - on off-leash enforcement.
“Right here right next to the dog park people have been letting their dogs off it's completely fine and safe but people were getting tickets from the city," said Taylor Holland, a dog owner.
Owners who NY1 spoke with are more than happy to move on. They say this reopening is helping them do that, a positive step for their pets and their own well being.
"It's a step closer to being normal in the sense at least with this activity its a big enough park that we’re all able to keep a safe distance," said Colleen McFadden, a dog owner.