JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. – After about a month of troubles, security has been restored following a crusade by a couple of the people who use Paws Park near the police station in Jacksonville Beach.
"We have been coming here religiously over a year and the conditions have gotten progressively worse,” Gail Morse said.
Less than a week ago, News4Jax met Phoebe and Billy, both trying to enjoy the park with their owners.
Paws Park has a big dog area and a smaller dog area. Users pay a fee and register their animals, which Morse said she appreciates.
"We pay $50 a year, and you have to make sure when you come in that your dog has all their tags and shots, which is a really good thing," Morse said. "We are happy about that.”
Morse said she was not so happy when at the end of February the gate to the small dogs area stopped locking.
"We know all the dogs, all the dogs know each other, but when new dogs come in that aren't registered, it could be dangerous," Morse said.
So she called Parks and Recreation. She said that didn’t get her anywhere -- until Monday.
News4Jax spoke with Jason Phitides, with Parks and Recreation, who said after speaking to Morse he got a mechanic to the gate immediately.
Phitides said someone had jammed a toothpick into the lock and it was stuck open.
Because the lock has been repaired, it is now easier to get out than it is to get in. What hasn’t been addressed yet is the maintenance of the grounds. That’s a painful problem for dogs like Billy.
"After about five minutes my dog is covered -- looks like he has spots on him," Morse said.
Morse pointed out patches of weeds, which turn into sandspurs when they dry out. Billy picked up dozens in the few minutes he played at the park.
Phitides said he is now aware of the problem, and he has scheduled maintenance to take care of the problem.
"I think they have dropped the ball and could be doing much better," Morse said. "I don't want to point the finger, but they could definitely do better.”
Morse said the director for Parks and Recreation couldn’t have been nicer when she finally got in touch with him. However, she said she had been trying to establish contact with him for weeks.
She said she believes persistence makes the difference when you’re trying to have a problem like this resolved.
Phitides said he did not have a record of Morse calling repeatedly over the past few weeks, but he acted on her complaints as soon as he heard them from her.