Moorestown recently built a small but beautiful dog park on Westfield Rd, in place of farm land which had been there for decades. According the the Philadelphia Inquirer, the resurrection of the facility has cost over $350,000. The dog park has turned into a free-for-all with no regulations about who and what can enter the gates. Here are the reasons why we need to make adjustments to make it a safer place:

• The dogs do not need to have shots to enter.
• The dogs do not have to be licensed (which would give money to the township) to enter.
• At least one dog has already been bitten there, since opening mid-September.
• People/kids could get bitten by these dogs.
• Moorestown's tax payers are paying for maintenance of the dog park.

This beautiful facility should be used by paying citizens who have their dogs properly licensed. Vets should have to OK that the dog is safe and healthy to be around other dogs.

I know of other townships where you have to get a card in order to scan in to get inside the dog park. The card is given by the township after proper documentation has been provided by the dogs' owner. You have to pay a yearly fee in order to keep your access to the park valid. Not only does this provide additional revenue to pay for the upkeep of the park, it also ensures that the dogs who enter are healthy and properly vaccinated.

I was so excited when I heard that there was a dog park being built two minutes from my house. But upon further examination, I found so many flaws. I have since decided that I am not bringing my dog there because of the risks and hazards associated with potentially dangerous dogs running loose. As a Moorestown resident paying hefty Moorestown taxes, I should feel comfortable and safe bringing my dog to our new local dog park. The lack of regulation is an accident waiting to happen.