By William Kenny
Times Staff Writer

Jude Muoio wasn’t ready to throw in the towel. In fact, he was feeling just the opposite about what he viewed as a snub by city officials of him and countless other dog owners/lovers in the Northeast.
Muoio had built up more personal resolve than ever to lead the pet advocates in defiance of the city’s recent crackdown on illegal dog walking on the ball fields of Abraham Lincoln High School. Then he got the call.
Last week, a city Fairmount Park Commission official contacted Muoio, a Mayfair resident, to inform him that the commission was exploring his idea for a new “dog park” in the Mayfair area. That was good news to Muoio, who has been petitioning area residents for nearly six months, trying to rally support for a designated space where dog owners can walk their pets free of a city ordinance requiring the use of a leash.
To that point, Muoio says, he had gotten little feedback from various city offices, including Councilwoman Joan Krajewski (D-6th dist.).
As reported in Aug. 14 editions of the Northeast Times, Muoio first hatched his idea in late June, after city Streets Department enforcement officers ticketed him and several others one evening as they walked their dogs at Lincoln High. The fine was $25.
That was the start of the crackdown at Lincoln by the so-called SWEEP (Streets and Walkways Education and Enforcement Program) officers in conjunction with the Community Life Improvement Program (CLIP) being implemented in Krajewski’s district.
After calling various city and state officials, Muoio — a barber by trade — learned that Krajewski was the one he needed to talk to. An aide to the councilwoman, Chris Creelman, advised the doggie activist that his first step would be to demonstrate broader support for a dog park — that is, start a petition.
“I was getting the signatures,” Muoio said. “I handed in eight or nine hundred. And I was getting more. (Creelman) told me they had enough signatures and they were going to do something. He said they were going to talk to the park commission.”
After weeks passed with no new information on the project, Muoio started to call Krajewski’s office frequently, seeking updates. He says he’s called 25 to 30 times since mid-summer.
“I figure I’ve got to keep the pressure on them,” he said.
Creelman, the Council aide, told the Times last week that he has been waiting for feedback from the park commission and has a meeting scheduled with a representative of the school district’s government affairs unit to talk about the project.
He also has spoken to aides to Councilman Frank DiCicco, who has a dog park in the Northern Liberties section of his district.
In the meantime, Muoio contends, the dog walkers over at Lincoln have experienced some very aggressive enforcement tactics from the SWEEP officers and even city police.
The popular spot for dog walking is behind the football stadium, on open fields next to Pennypack Park.
“You should see it. (The SWEEP officers) actually hide along the bushes where you can’t see them. Then they’ll come after you to get you,” Muoio said.
In one instance, he claims, the “sanitation police” began chasing a woman through the fields to write her a ticket. Then they called for backup from city police, who drove their squad car onto the field to chase the woman. The vehicle left ruts in the grass from its tires, Muoio said. He thinks it was a 15th district car.
Capt. Mark Everitt, commander of the 15th, said that none of his officers have been assigned to the dog patrol detail at Lincoln, although there are routine patrols in the vicinity, as always. He was unaware of any police car driving on the school field, but officers are permitted to do that if they determine it is necessary to stop a crime, he said.
Creelman said he was aware of one recent incident in which city police officers assisted SWEEP officers detaining a woman in the Lincoln parking lot so they could issue a citation.
“The woman refused to stop. She went to her car and the (police) officer used his car to block her in,” Creelman said.
According to a Streets Department spokeswoman, SWEEP officers were using undercover tactics at the start of the initiative, but they don’t do it anymore.
“They are enforcing dog-related laws as part of the program up there,” said Emily Buenaflor. “For a time, the officers were not wearing uniforms in order to enhance enforcement.”
SWEEP officers still carried badges and identification cards at the time. Now, she says, the emphasis of the officers is on education before enforcement. Illegal activity goes beyond the leash issue to further include the failure of dog walkers to curb their animals or clean up after them.
“Normally the way (SWEEP officers) operate, they try to educate before enforcement becomes necessary,” Buenaflor said.
However, in cases where individuals refuse to comply with the law, the officers will be “using any available means to improve the quality of life in Philadelphia,” she said.
Extreme measures won’t be necessary, Muoio argues, when the city acts on the dog park proposal. He agrees that neighbors have legitimate complaints when pet owners allow their dogs to run unattended and defecate wherever they please.
“I’d tell them that if you have a place for dogs to go, they’re not going to be where you’re at,” he said. “It’s a win-win situation.”
And it wouldn’t cost the city a bundle, either. He envisions a simple facility with some fencing, waste receptacles, benches and landscaping.
“I told them that once they found a location, we would get the money up to build it,” Muoio said.
Besides the usual fund-raising events used by other community organizations, Muoio thinks area pet stores will be more than willing to chip in.
“Some of them will give you money and you put up a little plaque,” he said. “Once we get a spot, the first thing I’ll do is go to the bank and open an account.”
Creelman cautions that it won’t happen overnight.
“These are things that can take time,” the Council aide said. “He gave his signatures in August, so it’s only two months (ago). We want to make sure it doesn’t affect a residential area and we want to see the costs involved.”
Anyone interested in supporting the Mayfair dog park can call Jude’s Barbershop at 215-335-1709. ••
Reporter William Kenny can be reached at 215-354-3031 or bkenny@phillynews.com