Center for Labor Education & Research, University of Hawaii - West Oahu: Honolulu Record Digitization Project

Honolulu Record, Volume 10 No. 7, Thursday, September 12, 1957 p. 1

back  

Dog Owners Criticized for Making Kapiolani Park Canine "Outhouse"

Some Honolulans who use Kapiolani Park for recreation and picnics are complaining that residents in the surrounding areas walk their dogs every morning and evening in the park so that the animals would relieve themselves.

"It's not like a stray dog doing his business once in a while. Which they walk their dogs every morning and evening in the same places, you begin to have outhouses, not a park for families to spread their mats, picnic, let their babies crawl on the grass and have a swell time," a Kapiolani park user said.

"Isn't there a law? Can't the Parks Board do something to clean the parks and keep them from being made into dog outhouses?" another frequent user of the park asked.

Sam Haina, superintendent of maintenance of the Parks Board, says that dogs are not allowed in parks.

"But when they are on leash we can't do a thing," he explained.

He said that some people walk their dogs.

Isn't there a purpose for these early morning and evening excursions in the park by the dogs with their owners, he was asked.

"We find out that is the purpose," he said.
 
As to complaints about Kapiolani Park being" used for a "dog outhouse," Haina said he will refer the matter "to our police." Complainants say that the area toward Paki Ave. and along Kalakaua Ave. near the Elks Club is frequently used for walking the dogs.

One picnicker said, "Shame on those people with nice houses. They come out and flirty the people's park. If they can keep their dogs in their houses all day, it should be no problem to clean up their dogs' mess."

A spokesman at the Parks Board said that the only place where dogs are prohibited is the Honolulu zoo. This staff employe said that the City-County attorney is working on an ordinance to authorize the Parks Board to prohibit dogs where signs say dogs are not allowed.

"This does not necessarily mean Kapiolani Park," she said.

Some complainants say stray dogs can't read but dogs on leash have companions who can read and these dogs should be prohibited from parks, too.

This weekly learned that most complaints concern Kapiolani Park.

p /> I do not say that at odd hours a patient must be given the regular hot dinner or supper. Few people would expect this.
 
But what is so complicated about opening and heating a can of soup, making some toast, or preparing instant coffee or tea? Why cannot a night nurse do these simple things after the kitchen to closed? Is it just too much trouble?

It is only common humanity to feed the hungry. If our hospitals are too big, too complex, too impersonal to do these small kindnesses for the sick, something is very wrong.