Over 85% of Oʻahu’s parks don’t legally allow dogs for recreation, so the City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Parks and Recreation is asking for public feedback to help determine which Oʻahu parks should be dog-friendly.
Letters were sent to O‘ahu’s neighborhood boards on April 21, requesting their assistance to determine which parks should formally allow leashed dogs.
The boards will be facilitating the discussions and have been provided a digital map showing the neighborhood boundaries and which parks already have dog privileges.
There are 308 city park locations across Oʻahu. Only 36 allow leashed dogs, and 10 have off-leash areas.
Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation
Ala Moana Regional Park and the five Honolulu botanical gardens are not being considered because of their popularity and existing emphasis on dog restrictions.
Current park rules allow the DPR director “to designate areas in public parks for use by persons having custody and control of dogs on a leash and to designate public parks for use as off-leash parks for dogs.”
The parks department is requesting formal input from each of the neighborhood boards by September.
The DPR acknowledged two efforts that may alleviate concerns regarding dangerous dogs and irresponsible caretakers.
During the 2024 legislative session, the state passed and signed into law Act 224, which takes effect July 1. The law defines a dangerous dog and establishes requirements and penalties for owners of dangerous dogs.
DPR said it is also working on installing and maintaining dog poop bag dispensers at select city parks.
“With the growing variety of ways our parks are used, and the increasing need for recreational space across the island, we want to do our best to balance these diverse interests as we extend on-leash dog privileges,” said DPR Director Laura Thielen in a news release.
“Even providing a small area within a larger park for leashed dogs can make a significant difference to the growing population of dog guardians.”
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