About The Run - Info For Dog Owners - Dog Run Newsgroups - How to Contribute - Contacts

Welcome to
First Run Dog Run

Located in
Tompkins Square Park

Tompkins Square First Run is one of the best and biggest dog runs in the city. We were the city's first dog run. Over a decade ago, the dog owners of the East Village struck a deal with the parks department to start the dog run in exchange for staying off the lawns and keeping our area safe and clean.
Traditionally our run has larger, more rambunctious dogs, lots of shepherd and pitt mixes, so we are run a little different than other, smaller, dog runs. In the summer of 2002, we set off a separate area so that small dog owners could be more safe and comfortable. The small dog run is only for small dogs (under 23lbs.) and not for use of large breed puppies.
First Run Newsgroups

First Run,a central feature of Tompkins Square Park, is maintained by volunteers who use and regularly clean up the run.These newsgroups are used by the users of the run to maintain and monitor the dog run and exchange information.

The dog run has two newsgroups:

BIG DOG group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/firstrun-nyc/

SMALL DOG group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/smalldogrunfolks/
Managers of First Run

BIG DOG: Carol (Jolly) and Gunnar (Elsa)
SMALL DOG: Heather (Neo)
You can reach us at:
firstrun-nyc-owner@yahoogroups.com

Mail:
Carol Vinzant
First Run
c/o East Village Parks Conservancy
PO Box 138
New York, NY 10009

Phone: 212 - 979 - 5327

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Finally, First Run is operated and maintained by the community, not the Parks Department. The users of the run take care of it ourselves, and we like it that way. So, please help out. You can attend our irregular Clean-Up Days, or you can help any time by picking up extra poop, filling in holes, raking chips from the edges, and help politely enforce the rules. It's up to us to keep First Run safe, clean, and friendly.
Above: giant dog bone carved from a tree in the middle of First Run.

Photos courtesy of Carol Vinzant.
We always welcome a tax-deductible donation to:

First Run
c/o East Village Parks Conservancy
PO Box 138
New York, NY 10009

PLEASE TAKE NOTE: We are not the same group as the similarly named 'First Run Animal Medical Fund.'

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