Dogs Re-Allowed in Park, Must Not Urinate on Art

By Amanda Dickman in Arts & Entertainment on Jun 19, 2007 4:30PM

Back in February, the Chicago Park District imposed a ban on bringing your pup to piddle in south Grant Park near Magdalena Abakanowicz's $3 million "Agora" art installation. Not only was this a popular spot for dogs to do their business (purportedly due to the bark-like color and texture of the sculptures) but has also become the subject of quite a bit of amateur photography, one such photo even appearing in Chicagoist's Top Ten Photos of 2006.

Back to the matter at hand, the dogs. Once the ban was enacted in February, dog-owners in the area and the South Loop Dog Park Action Co-Op adamantly opposed the ban. Clearly their complaints were taken seriously; dogs are now allowed back in south Grant Park.

Officials for the Chicago Park District are now saying that the initial ban was "too extreme." Um, you think? They say that owners are welcome to bring their dogs back to the area but ask that they not relieve themselves (the dogs, not the owners) where "Agora" stands. Ah, the sweet smell of compromise; it's a beautiful thing. Hopefully people will respect the art (whether they consider it art or not) and have their canines take care of business elsewhere in the park.

Image via kudzuplanet.