HometownSource Blogs

In full disclosure, I’m a dog lover. So much so that my fiancèe, Jenny, and I refer to our dogs as our kids.

We treat them as such – giving them unconditional love and attention while still scolding them in our own gentle way when they need to be taught a lesson.

In fact, the proud parents that we are, we can often be found at Wilson Dog Park, nestled on the east shoreline of the Mississippi River in St. Cloud. There we can be seen showing off Bailie’s (our German Shepherd/ Rotweiller) leaping abilities with a Frisbee or Jersey’s (our Chocolate Lab) knack for sniffing out a dead fish and rolling around in it until she’s covered in carp.

To further display my bias on this issue, I should mention that Jenny and I met at Wilson Dog Park more than two years ago. We’ve always given credit to Bailie (originally my puppy) and Jersey (originally Jenny’s pup) for the dog park romance that followed. The dogs were even part of the proposal. One day this past January, they were playing in a snow-covered dog park when I called Jersey over to perform the latest trick I had taught her. I pointed at a spot on the ground and said “Jenny watch this,” turning to Jersey and commanding “Dig, dig, dig!” Jersey pulled off the perfect trick, shoveling snow away to reveal a mysterious box that I had buried beneath the surface. I got down on one knee and … yada yada yada … you know the rest…. she said “yes” and we’re getting married next month.

That said, I guess I have the area’s dog unfriendliness to thank for my upcoming nuptials.

You see, when I accepted this job out of college, I first began looking for housing in Little Falls. Whether I was looking for Apartments or homes to rent, I got the same answer from all the landlords and real estate agents I met – “You’re not going to find a lot of places that allow dogs.” They were right.

But this was only the first of a series of question marks that emerged as I asked myself, “Is Morrison County dog friendly?”

Question: How many dog parks are in the county?

Answer: Zero. It was rumored that a petition surfaced last year calling for a dog park in Little Falls, and others were rumored to have surfaced in years past, no petition has ever been submitted to the city. Therefore, the city council has never brought the issue up for discussion.

Question: How many stray dogs are surrendered to the Morrison County Humane Society (MCHS) each year?

Answer: 109 through the first six months of 2009. MCHS Manager Missy Wiskus said that number is dramatically up from a year ago, but even “normal numbers” are unsettling. In the last year, however, foreclosures and job loss have made matters worse. Two weeks ago, the MCHS took in four seven-month old black labs who were abandoned when their owner moved.

Question: How do local governments rate in handling dog licensing and stray pet control?

Answer: Outside of Little Falls, it’s tough to tell. Only 19 of the 45 local governmental bodies (cities and townships) are contracted with MCHS to bring in stray pets. Recently, the Buckman City Council has had to quell concerns (or put an end to the rumor) that city officials were killing stray and roaming pets alike. Wiskus said that the Little Falls Police Department has been excellent to work with in controlling the problem. However, there are still irresponsible dog owners failing to license their pets. Then you factor in the irresponsible pet owners who fail to spay or neuter pets, and it makes everything that much worse. And don’t get me started on the “dangerous dog” laws.

But the biggest problem for Morrison County has become the for-profit dog breeding industry. Wiskus said she senses an alarming increase in the number of backyard breeders looking to harvest a crop of pit bull (not actually a breed) or boxer puppies. Maybe they’re seeing dollar signs, taking notice of how commercial dog breeding facilities are being protected under USDA guidelines. Selling dogs has become part of the American dream – anyone can make a quick buck.

My hope is that people will continue to fight these small fights. We need to punish the owners and policy makers, not the dogs. We need to support the Humane Society.

It is my belief that, with a loving home, no dog is a dangerous dog.

Matt Perkins is a Record reporter, and can be reached by e-mailing matt.perkins@mcrecord.com.