Letter: Farm may bar public over inconsiderate dog owners

Posted 2/13/17

To the editor:

On behalf of the Board of Trustees of the Mount Hope Farm Trust, I am writing in response to the Speak-Out piece in last week’s Bristol Phoenix complaining about dogs …

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Letter: Farm may bar public over inconsiderate dog owners

Posted

To the editor:

On behalf of the Board of Trustees of the Mount Hope Farm Trust, I am writing in response to the Speak-Out piece in last week’s Bristol Phoenix complaining about dogs running loose and bags of dog excrement left in the bushes at Mount Hope Farm.

The speaker is correct. Despite our rules requiring dogs to be on a leash and all pet leavings to be picked up and removed by dog walkers, all too many dog walkers ignore the rules and abuse the privilege of being able to walk at the farm.

Mount Hope Farm has been a treasured place in the town of Bristol for many generations and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Long before the first house was built at the farm by Isaac Royall in 1745, the lands in and around Mount Hope Farm were the hunting and fishing summer camp of the Wampanoag Nation of Native Americans, who are known for their “first Thanksgiving” with the Pilgrims.

Unfortunately, and in spite of our best efforts, we have had an increasing number of trespassers during and after hours who have built fires on the grounds, brought alcohol in for drinking parties, damaged farm property and even brought guns in to hunt. Dog walkers who ignore our rules and let their dogs run loose during times the farm is open are among the most common.

Last year, we closed public access to the farm’s grounds at dusk daily and almost immediately had a number of incidents with people threatening members of our staff to the point where the police were called. Mount Hope Farm is privately owned and is not a park or public property.

We are now considering closing the farm to all but Friends of Mount Hope Farm (members) except for special public access days and events. As a non-profit, the farm counts on donations and Friends of the Farm to support the farm. Most people who walk their dogs do not provide any financial support to the farm, so it is especially unfortunate that they abuse the farm.

Because of these incidents, the Board of Mount Hope Farm is considering following the lead of Blithewold and other treasured places and closing our grounds to all but members.

We hope everyone who treasures the farm as we do understands why this step might be necessary. In the meantime, we encourage those people who walk the farm’s fields and paths to help us enforce the rules. Please take a picture of anyone whose dogs are running loose or who flings plastic bags of dog leavings into the farm’s trees and email to: info@mounthopefarm.org. Thanks for supporting the Farm!!

Georgina Macdonald
President
Mount Hope Trust

Mount Hope Farm

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