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Hawaii Kai seeks
park for the dogs
Residents say they have no place
to take their pets to run free
The absence of a dog park in Hawaii Kai has led some neighborhood dog owners to lurk around at night to find open green spaces so their canine pets can illegally run around un-leashed.
"It's kind of embarrassing and nerve-wracking running around and looking for places to meet. We need a legal place," said Elaine Dobashi, who helped form a group called Hui 'Ilio Hawaii with other dog owners who plan to help the city establish a dog park in their community.
"In Hawaii Kai, there's actually no legal place where you can take a dog," Dobashi said. "We're trying to provide a legal place that's safe for dogs."
Members of the Hawaii Kai Neighborhood Board voted unanimously at their monthly meeting Tuesday in support of an enclosed, off-leash dog park, but the city must still come up with the money and approval for the park.
Dobashi said they would like to have a dog park at the makai side of the park-and-ride site on Keahole Street. The location is ideal because a parking lot is already available, she said.
Hawaii Kai resident Carol Suyderhoud, who has a golden retriever named Madison, said dog parks are also beneficial for dog owners.
"Friendships have been formed through the dogs," she said.
Hawaii Kai resident Roger Morton echoed Suyderhoud's sentiment on dog parks.
"It's a good mixing place for neighbors to get together," said Morton, who has a beagle-mixed dog named Shiva and a foxhound-mixed dog named Kirby.
"When dogs get a chance to socialize, they're not aggressive. It's better for the dog. It's better for the community," he added.
In 2001, the Honolulu City Council passed legislation to authorize the Department of Parks and Recreation to establish off-leash dog parks.
So far, 650 signatures were collected in support of a dog park in Hawaii Kai since the group started working on the project two months ago.
Based on 2003 U.S. census data, there are an estimated 158,000 dogs on Oahu. Of that figure, about 8,000 dogs are in East Honolulu, said Dobashi.
She noted that some dog owners bring their canines illegally to school grounds to run around and play with other dogs. These are good dog owners who are trying to take care of their animals by providing exercise and social settings, said Dobashi, who has two mixed-terriers named Lani and Robert.
"The parks department has been working to establish four dog parks around Oahu, one in each of the various park districts," said city spokeswoman Carol Costa. The department would like to have more dog parks if there is a demand, she added.
Cost for a dog park in Hawaii Kai is estimated at $75,000 to $100,000. Park officials need to determine if water lines are available and how much fencing material is needed, Costa said.
A city dog park is available in Moanalua near the Moanalua Middle School. Another park is slated to open near the Mililani Mauka park-and-ride shortly, while another park is being planned for Windward Oahu, Costa said.
There are two privately run dog parks on Oahu: one at 18th Avenue and Diamond Head Road; and the other next to the Hawaiian Humane Society at 2700 Waialae Ave.
