Last September, Duke Gardens announced a policy banning furry friends—but after complaints from the Duke community, dogs will now be allowed to return.
The Sarah P. Duke Gardens will permit visitors to walk their dogs before 10 a.m. and after 5 p.m. William LeFevre, executive director of the Gardens, said the change was made after discussions with Duke students and faculty who are passionate about dog-walking.
“We decided with the University that an accommodation would be a good way to try to make it at least a little less dramatic,” he said.
The original policy was instituted because of the growing threat that dogs pose to plant life in the Gardens. Due to Durham’s rapid growth and the increasing popularity of the Gardens, the number of dogs visiting the grounds has risen substantially in the past few years.
However, LeFevre said that many people have grown accustomed to walking their dogs in the Gardens and were dismayed to learn they that they would no longer be permitted to do so.
Following meetings with faculty, administrators and the Graduate and Professional Student Council, the Gardens decided on a compromise allowing dog walking during certain hours. Dogs will still not be permitted in the Gardens without a leash or at all in two specialized gardens—the Charlotte Brody Discovery Garden and the Blomquist Garden of Native Plants.
Thomas Metzloff, professor of law and co-chair of the University’s Committee on Facilities and Environment, said he was concerned when he heard about the Gardens plan to ban dogs.
“I made inquiries about the extent it had been discussed with the Duke community, and it turned out it really hadn't been,” he said.
Metzloff noted that he heard many students in the Law School upset about the change. He also had a personal stake in the issue—he walks his golden retrievers several times a week in the Gardens.
He brought the matter to Executive Vice President Tallman Trask who agreed that the Duke community should have a say in the policy. CFE then helped the Gardens craft its current regulation.
LeFevre explained that the hours were chosen because most people walk their dogs in the early morning or after work. He stressed that the Gardens staff found it important to create hours that will not change with the season.
“We don't have a front door, so we decided with whatever we needed to do, we needed it to be simple,” LeFevre said. “People just need to know when they can and when they can’t.”
Feedback on the policy change has been overwhelmingly positive, he added.
Metzloff explained that permitting dogs in the Gardens is important because it brings people from across the University together.
“I don’t think there’s a walk that goes by that I don't meet a Duke student,” he said. “It’s wonderful for communities.”
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