The dog park that disappeared overnight • Between disappointment and relief

(haipo) – About six years ago, the Haifa Municipality expropriated land from the Technion’s historic park in the Hadar neighborhood, with the aim of establishing a dog-free park, an initiative designed to address a real need for dog owners in the area. Over the years, the park has become not only a space for dogs, but also a community meeting point for the neighborhood’s residents.

However, recently, with the renewal of the expropriation order a few months ago, the Technion decided to take legal action and filed a petition with the Local Affairs Court to cancel the order. At the end of the process, the parties reached a compromise: the area was returned to the Technion, and the municipality was forced to dismantle the garden.

The demolition was carried out without prior notice, leaving many Hadar residents surprised and even angry. For dog owners, it is a real disruption to their daily lives. “It wasn’t just a dog park, it was a meeting place, a community,” residents say. “We don’t have a lot of open space in the area, and this was an important solution.”

But alongside the disappointment, there are also other voices in the neighborhood who welcome the move. They claim that the garden has become a problematic focus over the years: “It hasn’t been a pleasant place for a long time,” say some residents. “There were quite a few shady characters there, and sometimes there was also a feeling of insecurity.”

Other complaints concerned the conduct of the place: dogs that were not under control, repeated cases of bites, poor maintenance and persistent dirt. “The garden was neglected, full of dog feces, and no one really supervised what was happening there,” residents add.

Thus, between satisfaction and disappointment, Hadar remains without a dog park, at least for now. Despite the differences of opinion, one thing is agreed upon by almost everyone: an alternative solution is needed. The neighborhood's residents expect the Haifa Municipality not to leave the vacuum as it is, and to act quickly to locate a new, regulated and maintained area that will provide an adequate solution for both dog owners and the rest of the public.

The Haifa Municipality responded: "The land belongs to the Technion. The dog park was established by virtue of a temporary seizure order that expired, and the municipality acted to renew it. Following an appeal that the Technion filed with the court, in which it opposed the continued existence of the dog park on the historic campus, it was agreed to cancel the order and restore the situation to its previous state. The municipality is examining alternatives for the well-being of the residents."