Iowa City May Soon Allow Dogs Downtown

One of the things that has always bugged me about Iowa City is that it is against the law for me or anyone else to walk my dog on the Iowa City Pedestrian Mall -- especially since (with the exception of my current standard poodle Nero) I've always owned small dogs that are leashed and carried when walking downtown. It's not that I want to go shopping with Ms. Lion or take her to the library, but it would be nice to take my leashed dog for a walk or go to a public concert or watch a parade or whatever. And if they are under control and well-behaved, why shouldn't they be allowed on the Ped Mall?

But dogs have been technically banned from the Iowa City Pedestrian Mall since 1978. I say "technically" since I often see dogs on the Ped Mall and, with the exception of a handful of service animals, those dogs aren't supposed to be there. In other words, Iowa City currently doesn't enforce this 34-year-old ordinance.

Now it looks like the Iowa City City Council is starting the process to amend the law to allow dogs access to the Iowa City Ped Mall. Under this new ordinance, dogs would have to be leashed at all times and their leashes could not be longer than 6 feet long. Dogs could not be tethered to either public or private property and they wouldn't be allowed near any sidewalk cafe, any limestone planter, or the playground equipment.

I'm completely in support of this change in city code. And it appears that the City Council and the Iowa City Downtown District are completely behind this change, too, which is a good thing.