The Tribune printed a letter (Sept. 7) from Mr. Eldy Leapaldt regarding a Lure Coursing Fun Run, sponsored by the Bismarck Kennel Club at the Municipal Ball Park. As organizers of the event, we would like to respond.

First, the kennel club did pay a rental fee for the use of the park. We agreed to pay $100 to Bismarck Parks and Rec. We believe we did our part to support park maintenance.

Secondly, we have strict rules about clean-up at our events and about how dogs are to be handled. We allow only one dog to run on the field at any given time. At the event in August, only one dog stopped in the middle of his run to relieve himself. It was solid waste and his owner cleaned it up immediately. All other dogs were waiting on leashes and in their crates along the fence line of the field. If they urinated, it was not on the field proper.

We were disturbed that Mr. Leapaldt said the details of our event were of no consequence, since some people probably imagined 30 or 40 dogs out on the field all at the same time, which was simply not the case. The event was well-organized and dogs were not free to run and do as they pleased.

Thirdly, the field is equipped with a very substantial sprinkler system. It is watered every day and mowed every week. If there was residual urine along the fence line, it would have been removed very soon.

Fourthly, we purposely did not request the use of the field during the baseball season. We book our events in early spring or late summer/fall so we can be respectful of our community's priorities.

Fifthly, the kennel club would very much like to use the dog parks for our events. However, lure coursing requires a two- to three-acre field to provide a substantial run and the dog parks are not adequately sized. We used the diamond because of space, not aesthetics.

Finally, we would like to say that we work very hard to encourage all kennel club members to train their dogs, thoroughly socialize them, keep them under control at all times, maintain up-to-date vaccination protocols and health testing, and promote good canine citizenship. We do not expect that everyone enjoy dogs the way we do. We understand that we may not always be as welcome as some groups in the parks. But if we do in fact use them, we try our best to be responsible and respectful of the general public.

We hope that all parties who use the parks can be good neighbors for each other.

(The letter is signed by members of the Bismarck Kennel Club board of directors: Nancy Lane, Megan Dollinger, Lisa Blair, and Jolene Clemmons.)