Petition gains traction to transform vacant field into dog park in Howard Beach, inspired by Maximus the Yorkie.
Photo Charles Park Dogs on Facebook
A Howard Beach resident is on a mission to transform a vacant field in Charles Memorial Park into an official dog park, aiming to create a safer and more welcoming space for local pet owners and their dogs.
Donna Dill, 39, is spearheading the initiative in honor of her energetic one-year-old Yorkie, Maximus, who recently celebrated his birthday. Described as spirited and full of personality, Maximus inspired Dill to take action after noticing a lack of dog-friendly recreational areas in the neighborhood.
Dill launched a Change.org petition earlier this month after years of using the field informally with other neighborhood pet owners. Her goal is to collect more than 250 signatures before bringing the petition to Council Member Joann Ariola’s office for consideration. So far, the petition has gained traction in the community, with over 180 signatures.
The idea was inspired by Dill’s one-year-old Yorkie, Maximus, who she describes as spirited and social—particularly when it comes to larger dogs. Dill said that while Maximus enjoys mingling with dogs of all sizes at the field, which has served as an unofficial dog park for years, the mixed environment sometimes leads to rough play.
“If you go to Charles Park, you’ll see this field is always full of dogs,” Dill said. “Honestly, [Maximus] loves all other dogs, so anytime we go there, he is the happiest dog in the world.”
Dill said that although Maximus prefers the company of larger dogs—including pit bulls—there have been a few incidents where he was unintentionally trampled during play. “It’s not always the safest for him,” she said. “Some of the bigger dogs aren’t as hyper, so he’s fine with them, but we’ve had a few instances where we had to leave. Luckily, he hasn’t been hurt.”
In contrast to the open field at Charles Memorial Park, Dill pointed out that official dog parks typically include separate areas for large and small dogs, helping reduce the risk of injury and improve the experience for everyone. “If it were an official dog park, they would be able to have two separate spaces,” she said. “So big and small can both be there at the same time, being safely separated.”
Last summer, Dill created the Charles Park Dogs Facebook group to help connect pet owners in the Southeast Queens neighborhood. The group now has around 260 members, with weekly meetups typically taking place in the evenings after work and on weekends, depending on the weather.
“On average, I would say six dogs come to the meetups,” she said. “We had a Halloween get-together last year—there were probably about 20 dogs that came in their little Halloween costumes.”
Charles Memorial Park, located along the shores of Jamaica Bay, is a sprawling green space in Howard Beach that features baseball fields, basketball courts, and walking paths, but lacks a designated area for dogs. The underutilized field that Dill hopes to convert is currently open and unfenced, often shared informally by local pet owners. While the park serves as a vital recreational space for the community, residents like Dill believe that establishing an official dog park would enhance safety, promote responsible pet ownership, and make better use of the existing space—especially as more dog owners continue to gather there regularly.
Dill hopes that with continued community support and political advocacy, the field can be formally designated as a dog park, giving Maximus and his fellow canines a safer place to play. To view and sign the petition, click here.
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