With the Walnut Street Bridge closed for repairs, we need to focus our efforts to see this area reopened as a dog friendly area in May! All we need are a few doggie waste stations, and people who will consistantly pick up after their dogs. A group of downtown/N Chatt residents are working hard to teach responsible pet practices to our community, so we can see progress. If we pick up the poop, we will see more areas open, and hopefully the Walnut Street Bridge will be first!

What? You can't take your dog across Walnut Street Bridge? Ooops. Oh well.... :)

A Downtown Resident Responsible Dog Owners' Group is making progress getting committments from volunteers to help remind owners of their responsibilities . So far the group has in fact been able to add more areas where dogs can be allowed. A larger group of those willing to remind violators will definitely show positive results.

Want to join in with the DoGood Chattanooga group and help the progress for a dog friendly Chattanooga? Join the facebook group, Dog Friendly Chattanooga, or email us at dogfriendlychattanooga@gmail.com for details on how you can help.

My favorite walk before my dog was to walk across the Walnut Street Bridge and then on the RiverWalk past the Bluff View District. Now that I prefer my dog to be along with me for my walks, I have to choose between the Renaissance Park or drive across and walk on the south side. Veteran's Bridge and Market Street bridges are too noisy and not safe enough. As a responsible dog owner, my dog knows how to behave while meeting others, and we will leave nothing to annoy non-dog owners.

A Bridge of Reconciliation

Once I served on the board of a small non-profit whose mission was poverty relief. While we met minor challenges ourselves, surmounting greater ones required the aid of our fellow travelers. Doing so tested reserves of patience, tact and empathy all around because others brought their own methods and visions to the collaboration. Success depended on the give and take that ultimately made us better people.

New to Chattanooga, I see an opportunity to bring that lesson to bear upon the issue of reopening the Walnut Street Bridge to pets. If we may again walk our dogs across that bridge, everyone must know the value of leash laws and why waste must be picked up. Pets are but a symptom of this quality of life issue. Human attitudes underpin the problem.

I gather that some healing between the Humane Educational Society and McKamey Animal Center would be welcome. Let the Walnut Street Bridge become a metaphor for that process. The combined resources of our community shelters could provide the necessary clout and consciousness raising to ensure that return of pets to the bridge is a cause for celebration.

As a resident of North Chattanooga and responsible dog owner, it is a shame not to be able to walk with my dog across the Walnut Street Bridge. For this reason, I just opt to stay in North Chattanooga when walking my dog because I don't feel safe with her on the other bridges. Promoting responsible pet ownership rather than restricting altogether would be most beneficial!

For a long time (about 7+ years) on Wednesday nights, I have been taking my running group across the Walnut Street Bridge. I have a little dog that I have to leave at home too much because so many places will not allow dogsm including the Walnut Street Bridge. My relationship with Hans is way more important to me than going most places. What is disturbing is what I have seen humans doing on the bridge is much more disturbing than any dog poop you would ever see. Wherever I walk with Hans, I have always cleaned up after him, because I respect others' space...what about humans doing the same thing. My dog is much better behaved than some folks out there.

Please don't let a few irresponsible dog owners ruin one of the best walks and sites in the city for those of us who do take care and pick up after our dogs. PLEASE open the bridge to dog owners and fine those who don't comply. As a Northshore resident this is very important to me.

I moved to Chattanooga 3 months ago and was THRILLED to find the walking bridge. My grandson and I love going there together and look forward to it re-opening in May. The one drawback is that I can't take my little dog, Neville, with me when we go. Neville is well behaved and I always carry LOTS of poop bags with me (I like to share!), he is also always on leash. Please put up Doggy Pick-up Stations and open up the bridge to ALL of us, two and four legged!

I hope to see the Walnut Street bridge opened to dogs in the spring when it is reopened. The bridge is an important link between North Chattanooga and downtown and the issue really boils down to one of safety. Why have a completely pedestrian bridge available but still force people to take pets whom often mean as much as human family across heavily trafficked bridges? It not only eases the stress on dog owners to allow dogs across the bridge, but also encourages walking traffic between downtown and North Chatt.

While I would love to see access to downtown for Chattanooga dog owners - which I am one - I have concerns about conflicts with bikers. The Walnut street bridge is an important thoroughfare for bike commuters in the city and bike/dog accidents are unfortunately common. If the bridge is to be opened to dogs lets make sure that we address this issue. A possible solution would be a dog lane in which bikers would not be able to ride in.

I moved from Chattanooga to Gwinnette Co., Ga seven years ago. Because of family I am often back in Chattanooga and I bring my dogs with me when I visit. I have gotten use to parks being open to use by leashed and well behaved dogs with responsible owners. There is little problem with people failing to pick up after their dogs here because there are reminders everywhere. I would love to be able to walk my dog when I visit Chattanooga in the same manner I do at home but there are just too many places that have been made off limits to my dog that would be open to them where I live now. I think that educating dog owners and allowing more access to public areas to dogs would go a long way toward changing attitudes about pets across the entire Hamilton County area.

Please reopen the Market Street Bridge as a pet friendly area. Everyone will benefit from this action.

I live in NC however visit my family 2 - 3 times a year in Chattanooga and always bring my two dogs with me. I love walking around downtown Chattanooga and always bring the dogs with me. It is unfortunate at this time, not to be able to walk with them across the Walnut Street bridge. I hope the city will consider allowing them on the bridge when it reopens this spring.

As a responsible dog owner, I would like to feel free to walk my dog anywhere in Chattanooga, including the Walnut St. bridge. I pledge to clean up after my dog wherever I walk him in Chattanooga.

Responsible dog parents should not be punished or restricted due to the negligence of others. People who speed are ticketed & fined; the solution is not to restrict the rest of us from driving. When the Walnut St. Bridge reopens there should be the same type of pick up stations as we see in the dog parks. Those not using them will assuredly be reprimanded by other dog owners & should be fined accordingly. I think a compromise would be to allow pets on one side of the bridge so that cyclists & those afraid of dogs could use the other side unhindered. It is a shame to restrict such a beautiful area to so many who would otherwise enjoy all its benefits. The other 2 bridges are filled with traffic and are often too hot, noisy, & filled with broken GLASS & trash for pet owners to feel comfortable taking a walk across. Opening the Walnut St. bridge to pet owners would be beneficial to businesses on both sides of the river, would make hundreds of dogs & dog parents happy, & would surely promote more family use of the parks and recreational activities available to residents and visitors. Win~Win~Win.

i think this would be GREAT! there are sooooo many dogs and dog lovers in Chattanooga. so much that there needs to be a lot more access for dogs to be allowed in public places, especially in a city that is trying to refurbish itself and make it an enjoyable place to live or live or retire. Other cities are more open to the idea and i think with the way Chattanooga is growing, this needs to be a number one priority. Dogs and pets make up so much of a persons life and in this day and age people want areas where their pets can be included in their daily activities. Its hard to live an area knowing they're not dog friendly in rarely any aspect.

Yes Please!

Chattanooga is a progressive city. Lets make is more progressive by allowing people to enojy walks with all members of thier families.

Lets get the bridge opened to pets

Please open the Walnut Street bridge up to dogs!

You could reach a whole new niche tourist market by advertising Chattanooga as the place to go for tourists looking for dog friendly vacation spot.

I would really love to see this bridge open to folks who are out walking with dogs. It just makes sense. I would be willing to put my efforts into putting up doggy poo bags and educating the public in general. If everyone agreed to step up and say something to a dog owner who is walking away with their dog who just pooed and hand them a disposable bag, the problem would drop drastically. Chattanooga is a family friendly city and dogs are part of the family! Come on Chattanooga let's give it a try.

Dog owners would be PROUD to clean up after a dog accident. Please consider re-opening Walnut Street Bridge as a dog friendly bridge. There are waste bags and garbage cans at Heritage Park. That would be a perfect solution for Walnut Street Bridge.

I think it would be a wonderful ideal. Pet owners should be allowed to walk their dogs across the bridge, as well as all parks. They are family members as well.

I agree with almost all of the intelligent, previously posted comments about making not only the Walnut Street Bridge, but also, all parts of Chattanooga, open to pets belonging to responsible people.

It is ridiculous to tout ourselves as a tourist-friendly, progressive city, to invite people to come downtown and to our area in general to spend hard-earned vacation money, then to prevent some of them from bringing with them valued members of their family, sometimes the most important members, when they come to visit!

I have had several visitors tell me that, only after arriving with their pets, did they discover they were unwelcome in our city, and that because of this situation, they were planning never to return. Imagine out of all the tourists who have come here how many, many other people have experienced the same treatment and have determined never to visit here again--or how many have read about this brouhaha online or in the papers and have decided not to come for the very same reason. That fact, alone, should spur on our Council members to see the light and change the unreasonable, unfair ruling now in effect.

In addition, according to statistics, "There are approximately 77.5 million owned dogs in the United States. Thirty-nine percent of U.S. households own at least one dog.... There are approximately 93.6 million owned cats in the United States. Thirty-three percent of U.S. households (or 38.2 million) own at least one cat ."

I assume that Chattanooga is similar to the national model in percentages of households with pets. PET OWNERS pay taxes and VOTE. Perhaps the City Council will respond to this concept. I, personally, promise right now never to vote for anyone who votes to support the current rules against pets in Chattanooga. Start a petition, and I not only will sign it, but also will circulate it.

Without trying to hurt anyone's feelings, I MUST weigh in on the idea of the compromise suggested above. It is not at all acceptable that we should put a compromise in place whereby dog owners must walk on one side of the bridge while bicyclists or those afraid of dogs travel on the opposite side.

Imagine if the lawmakers in New York City tried to institute such a ruling! People must learn to pay attention to their surroundings and be more careful, whether they are the pet owner, the one afraid of pets, or the bicyclist.

My best advice for the dog-phobic person is to look ahead as you walk and simply move a bit aside from any oncoming human with a pet. All dogs are supposed to be leashed, no matter what, so stay clear of any dog to the distance of an average leash length, and there will not be a problem, except for maybe the accelerated pounding of the fearful heart. We all have to be more aware in every way anyway, so this would be character building for all of us. If you DO happen to see an unleashed dog, find the nearest law-enforcement representative and report the infraction.

As for the problem with the bikers and the dogs interacting.... my husband loves to bicycle, so I am not advocating outlawing bikes, but when I went riding with him downtown, I tumped off my bicycle several times and nearly fell into someone, which was pretty scary for both of us. In addition, I have almost been hit by a careless biker more than once in the past. Bikers, whether riding slowly or quickly, must look ahead and be aware of the pedestrian traffic and all of their surroundings, the same way they are aware of vehicular traffic, and if someone is not as skilled a rider as they once were (like me), they should just walk the bike to a place where it is safe to ride without either hitting someone or being hit.

Oh! I know! We need a BICYLCLE LANE down the very middle of the Bridge! THAT would work! For that matter, one of your ardent bikers, get a petition started and sign me up to help pass a petition along for this--we need BICYCLE LANES on every street and highway in Chattanooga and the surrounding areas, better sidewalks, too. Don't get me started....

The idea of ADVERTISING Chattanooga as a PET-FRIENDLY (and GREEN) CITY is simply BRILLIANT and another good reason for the Council members to overturn the policy in place.

I recognize only one negative or unpleasant aspect of getting the rules changed and KEEPING them in place, of course, and one of you touched on this already--it is the fact that it will be necessary for us, who really believe in Chattanooga being a place where dogs (or cats, parrots, ferrets, whatever) are welcome city-wide, to speak up when we are witness to a transgression, to overcome our embarrassment, shyness, pride--whatever normally prevents one from speaking up--and inform pet owners who have failed to clean up after their animals of the rules in our city. The other way is simply to clean it up ourselves. I have done that many times, though instead of using a baggy, I carry a small shovel around and bury it, when I see it., though I know this is not something most people would even consider doing.

So, except for having to pay attention and speak up, I see no negatives associated with the very exciting prospect of returning Chattanooga to the category of progressive, pet-friendly cities. Post the news about this movement, get the information on facebook, start petitions, tell your family and friends, get with the dogfriendlychattanooga group, do whatever else you can think of to spread the word, and let's get this change happening, y'all!!!!!

By the way, I apologize for writing so much, but I am in bed with laryngitis, so thanks for letting me "talk" so long!

Please allow dogs on the Walnut Street Bridge even if it is just one side of the bridge. I am a responsible pet owner and always pick up after my dog. Please give it a try and see how it goes. I walk at Ross's Landing every weekend since it has been opened to dogs and owners seem to be cleaning up after their pets. I never go to North Chattanooga because I always like to take my dog with me when I go walking and I will not walk across the other two adjacent bridges because of the noise, broken glass and safety reasons. Please give it a consideration. Thank you

It would be nice to be able to walk my dog on the bridge again. Stations with clean up bags would be helpful.

I agree that dogs should be allowed on Walnut Street Bridge. Let's give it one more try. It's sad that some pet owners chose not to clean up after their dogs causing the change in dogs not being allowed on the bridge to begin with. I would certainly agree that if a person was caught not cleaning up after their pet the should be fined.

Thanks for this effort. I agree with the idea of dogs on the bridge with responsible owners to clean up after them. We will need waste containers on either end of the bridge.

We should be able to walk with our dogs on the bridge..fine us as much as you want if we don't pick up after them..we don't care. Try it for a year. Also see how much your stores sales increase if dog owners are allowed back down there. The paws in the park should be there too. So much money going elsewhere when Northshore and Downtown Deserve it. Are there any business minded people making these decisions. Ask the business owners? Do they want us there?

This would be wonderful. Please allow responsible pet owners to walk their dogs in Chattanooga Parks.

The squeaky wheel got the grease when the bridge was open to dogs a few years ago and subsequently closed. Now it's time for responsible dog walkers to have a louder wheel to get the bridge reopened and keep it opened.

Please open the bridge up to dogs! I would come downtown more if I could bring my dogs.

I do not want this. How well will a tourist remember Chattanooga if they step in pooh on the walking bridge or anywhere else in public? Dogs belong at home, not out in public. What if someone had an aggressive dog and it decided to attack someone else's dog or a child? So what if a few of you are willing to pick up after your dogs, all it takes is 1 dog to defecate on the bridge or attack someone. Majority of pet owners are irresponsible therefore we need to lean to the side of more restrictive. And I don't know about you but who's going to stand on the bridge and write tickets to people who don't clean up after their dogs? I refuse to pay more taxes to hire another police officer for the convenience of a small group of people who want to walk their dog on the bridge. I myself do not like dogs, so I don't want to see them in public unless it's a service dog, which I've only seen once in this city. I don't force my cats on everyone who comes to my home. So don't force me to be around your dog in public. That's just inconsiderate.

Court R, have you any data whatsoever to back up your claim that [the] Majority of pet owners are irresponsible? I, for one, am not a huge fan of children with dripping noses who, UNLIKE dogs, can spread disease to other humans; however, it is not fair to ask people with children to keep them at home because their screaming fits and stinky diapers annoy me. Kids who misbehave are not a rare sight, but dog poop is. FYI, there are already park officers who enforce having no dogs on the bridge & in Coolidge Park, so your complaint about paying more for additional staff is also baseless. The tourists you speak of would be unimpressed with the amount of trash and broken glass on the other bridges across the river where we dog owners are expected to cross, but I guess that's ok. Living in such a bubble must be lonely; you should get a dog.

In response to Happy's comments a few weeks ago, you had some great points! Because you included some great statistics and important facts, it didn't seem long at all! Hope you are all well now - no more laryngitis.
In response to Court R., I'm a retired school teacher that learned the best way to teach children was to make them responsible learners and citizens in the classroom. If they had no desire to learn and weren't able to accept each and every classmate (whatever their differences were), then it would be an uphill climb for them at all times. As responsible Chattanooga citizens, we have to accept that everyone doesn't think the same way we do. We shouldn't have to live in a segregated society or heaven forbid - stay at home, just because we enjoy a different lifestyle. I, personally, am willing to do as much as I can to allow other Chattanoogans and tourists who love dogs, cats, riding bicycles, or even birds (as much as I do despise those pigeon droppings on the bridge) to appreciate the beautiful city where we live.

Thanks and greetings to all of you who are interested enough to continue watching this site and take time to post your opinions, even if they are not of the same ilk as mine, though it does thrill me to see such a great outpouring of support for allowing animals back into all Chattanooga public spaces, as WELL AS ON WALNUT STREET BRIDGE.

Thank you, Linda, for your well wishes for my recovery. It took several weeks, but I am finally up again, talking as much as ever, and should be working on drawings rather than on "talking" here, but the issue is too important to remain silent.

Court, I feel compelled to address a specific point that you brought up--that since you do not like dogs, you do not think they should be on the bridge (or in any other public place, I assume from your posting) with the exception of service dogs. Unless I am completely mistaken, I do not think even service dogs are allowed on Walnut Street Bridge, though I defer to others who are more current with the code restrictions than I.

I understand, Court, that you may have issues with canines, and I understand how important cats are to cat lovers. I am one of those lucky people who responds positively to ALL ANIMALS, from dogs and cats to pigs and horses, and to every animal in between, and I enjoy the company of birds, rodents, and reptiles, as well. Watching shows on wild animals brings tears to my eyes, and reading animal stories was always a favourite pastime of mine as a child, so it is difficult for me to have empathy for your condition, though I can sympathize. However, I want YOU to be able to WALK YOUR CATS anywhere you want to take them, and I want tourists who travel with their felines to have the same opportunity! With the rules in place, I would think that every kind of animal is barred from this privilege currently. Does anyone out there know?

And, Court, though I said it earlier, I will repeat, my best advice for the dog-phobic person is to look ahead as you walk and simply move a bit aside from any oncoming human with a pet. ALL PETS MUST BE LEASHED in an urban setting, and you are safe from any interaction with them, as long as you pay attention as you walk. In addition, as long as dogs are leashed, and the owners, also, are paying attention, dog fights will be non-existant, as well as contact with humans who wish to avoid them. It is pretty easy to tell, when out with one of my animals, who wants to stop and pet them and who wants to stay clear of them.

Please understand that with more and more residential spaces opening in downtown Chattanooga--something that many of us have worked for years on accomplishing, in an ongoing effort to improve the quality of life in this city--it is essential for all areas of the city to be OPEN TO ANIMALS, ESPECIALLY the bridges that serve to connect both sides of "downtown", especially the WALKING BRIDGE that is safer to use and friendlier to humans than one of the other bridges, and especially the PARKS! The idea that these spaces should forbid the presence of animals is patently absurd, if Chattanooga wants to advance into the 21st century as a city. As I pointed out in my earlier posting, imagine the city officials of MANHATTAN or Chicago putting rules into place that would forbid animals on certain streets or bridges!!!

In addition, and not that anyone cares, but my first husband and I, along with all of our friends and scores of other young people back then (we're all pretty old today), started the historic preservation movement in Chattanooga, as a way of helping to bring about the renaissance of this city, as a way to bring humans AND their pets back to LIVE in the city. Garnet Chapin, in particular, who practically lay down in front of the wrecking ball to keep the Walnut Street Bridge in place, and who definitely was the architect, not only of the finanacial concept as well as of the plan that restored the bridge, while my ex, Dwight Baker, worked on the restoration (I think it was as foreman of the actual work) and Andy Smith worked with Garnet, would never have conceived that the bridge would be closed to dogs! I know that I can speak for all of the hundreds of people who helped start the movement to restore the bridge: NONE of us support this regulation that prevents dogs from accompanying their owners on the Walnut Street Bridge.

Please speak to your representatives. Make them aware that there are thousands of people who will not vote for them if they continue to uphold these Draconian rules!

Thank you for listening, all of you! And please let us continue to work to change these rules!!!

Happy Yates Baker

Happy,

I agree with you. This segregation of people with dogs is ridiculous and this city needs to make a lot of changes. Bicyclists don't have proper lanes for going anywhere.

When I ran the Presido 10 miler in San Francisco in March there were dogs, runners, walkers, cyclists, kids everywhere and not a pile of poop (dog or human) to be found!

Please allow dogs on the Walnut Street Bridge. I am a responsible pet owner and always pick up after my dog.

I think this will probably do the trick:

http://www.thefuntheory.com/2009/12/16/poopoo-monsta

The element of entertainment would encourage interaction (across all age groups)...even if it means having to scoop poo to play.

As of this Saturday, August 7th, dogs are allowed! http://chattanooga680.com/?p=313