by Seth Kugel, May 22, 2005

For a Tiny but Feisty Dog Run, a National Pat on the Head

It was big news for East Village canines. The First Run dog run in Tompkins Square Park came in fourth in a national dog parks ranking by Dog Fancy magazine and Deramaxx, a canine arthritis medication, and on Thursday the park received a check for $10,000, which will be part of its planned contribution to a Parks Department renovation of the area.

But being fourth raises the question: Why is the capital of the world not the capital of the dog run world?

Dog owners might be sorry they asked. It turns out that First Run is the Chihuahua of the top four, measuring just 0.33 acre. Among the other winners, Millie Bush Bark Park in Houston measures 15 acres, Fort Woof Dog Park in Fort Worth is 5 acres and Alimagnet Dog Park near Minneapolis is 7 acres.

"I'm moving," said Kathy Gross, a lifelong East Village resident, when informed of the size of the other winners. Frolicking nearby were her black Lab, Morgan, and her Akita-Kangal mix, Angie.

Nor is size the only criterion. Some of the higher-ranked runs have swimming ponds; there are three in Millie Bush alone, including two three-quarter-acre lakes complete with aeration systems. Some of the runs also have grass. And doggie showers. And First Run?
"We have a hose," Ms. Gross said. There is something about dog runs that seems to make people go crazy with puns and dubious wordplay.

"The response to Fort Woof has not been 'wow,' but 'bow wow,' " said Jason Smith, an attorney who helped win approval for that park, which opened last year and which this fall will play host to an event called Barktoberfest. Also in the top 10: Wiggly Field in Chicago and the Chattanooga Chew Chew Canine Park.

But wordplay was not a criterion for the judges, said Susan Chaney, editor of Dog Fancy. Nor was size. "It's not really fair to compare a Manhattan park with a park in Ohio," Ms. Chaney said. "The idea is to have a safe, enclosed area where dogs can run and play with
other dogs."

In addition to size, the judges considered amenities like fences, water fountains, separate areas for large and small dogs, shaded areas, free entry, an active Web site, special events, classes and a dedicated user organization.

First Run certainly has the latter, in part because the park serves such an important social function in the neighborhood. "There's a raging singles scene in here too," Ms. Gross said. And although exes may sit on the opposite ends of the park, their dogs continue to
play together.