The JBG Companies just took the hose we've been using to give our dogs water at the Falkland Chase dog park. This so-called dog park has no shade, no grass, nothing but roots and rocks. We used that hose to run a mister that kept the temperature and dust down, and to fill a little pool that dogs could lie down in to cool off. JBG also took these plastic chairs we'ad been using since there is no where else to sit. OK, so what did JBG accomplish? We can't use the dog park and the only reason any of us live here is that it is SUPPOSED to be dog friendly. I rented from fall '09 through summer 11. ...

Despite using the phrase "dog parks" in their advertising and in their leases, The JBG Companies now denies that there are any dog parks at the Falkland Chase Apartments: "...these dog “park” areas...are not necessarily intended to be a full-fledged dog park in the strictest sense of the word." JBG made this statement in response to resident complaints that the dog parks do not meet the minimum standards for health and safety. With nearly 200 dogs, Falkland Chase Apartments is one of the largest dog communities in Montgomery County. Dog owners pay a pet deposit plus a minimum of $300 per dog in pet fees each year. In a June 26 meeting with tenants, JBG was unable to say what it did with the approximately $40,000 it collected annually from dog owners. Falkland Chase residents requested the meeting with JBG after the property manager confiscated the hose that residents had purchased and used for years to provide drinking water for dogs in the north side dog park. JBG also confiscated the plastic wading pool that residents had purchased to keep their dogs from overheating because the park is not shaded. JBG said that confiscating these items would "return the dog park to function as it is intended." Residents explained to JBG the dangers to dogs of heatstroke and dehydration (especially for long-haired or double-coated dogs) and the importance of running water in preventing these potentially fatal conditions. JBG responded that "...we do not believe we are participating in any sort of 'animal cruelty.'" In addition to restoring water access, residents also asked JBG to address other health and safety concerns in the dog parks: >lack of appropriately sized parks for the number of dogs >lack of separate large/small dog areas >lack of safety gates >dog park fences that are only 22-inches high in places >waste-contaminated run-off and standing pools of water from improperly graded dog parks >lack of paw-friendly ground cover in the dog parks >mulch used in the parks, which is potentially hazardous to dogs and people >immovable iron benches, signs, and clean-up stations which are potentially injurious to dogs who can collide with them during play I rented from fall '07 through spring 11. ...