Brian Goldstein walks his dog, Daisy, around the Kakaʻako neighborhood every evening. He alternates that daily responsibility with his wife and 92-year-old mother-in-law, who walks the dog in the afternoon.
They all live in the high-rise building Kōʻula at Ward Village on O‘ahu.
But what Goldstein thought was a pet-friendly neighborhood changed after he saw a new sign saying the Victoria Ward Park would no longer allow dogs.
“It feels like bait and switch. It’s like OK, it’s a pet-friendly building. It’s a pet-friendly neighborhood. Nevermind,” Goldstein said.
The developer Howard Hughes Corp. promised residents a pet-friendly neighborhood, but it has now walked back its pitch to residents. Ward Village is the planned community developed by the company, and neighborhood policies are determined by Hawaiʻi-based managers, the company said.
With the park slated to re-open next week following renovations, some Ward Village residents are frustrated with the recent policy change. They say they were promised a pet-friendly neighborhood before they bought their units.
The issue underscores the growing need for more dog-friendly parks.
According to the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation, a majority — 85% — of Oʻahu's 308 city parks do not legally allow dogs for recreation. Only 36 allow leashed dogs, and 11 have off-leash areas for dogs.
Goldstein said dog owners may need to walk further to find green space for their four-legged friends.
“That's a huge policy change, and it affects real people,” he said. “For kūpuna and residents with mobility challenges, including my 92-year-old mother-in-law. Being told that they have to walk several blocks just to find green space; it's simply unrealistic.”
In a Feb. 10 letter emailed to the pro-pet group Keep Victoria Ward Park Pet Friendly - Action Network, Kaʻiulani Sodaro of Howard Hughes Corp. said that starting Feb. 18, pets will no longer be permitted in any landscape, seating, art features or play areas in all Ward Village parks.
“This includes dogs and animals,” she said in an email obtained by HPR. “This decision is based on the last 5+ years of operating and maintaining open spaces with Ward Village that need to balance user conflict and cleanliness issues.”
The reason behind the policy change, according to the email, was to protect the lawn and green spaces, address safety and cleanliness concerns, and be consistent with city park guidelines.
However, DPR in recent years has been trying to make city parks more dog-friendly.
Residents in the area received a similar letter a day after from Ward Village.
Victoria Ward Park is a 3.5-acre public green space designed as a gathering place for the neighborhood and community. It’s been going through renovation for about a year, according to Goldstein.
HPR requested an interview with representatives from Howard Hughes Corp. and Ward Village, but was sent an email statement attributed to a Ward Village spokesperson.
“Prior to its recent expansion, the heavy use of unrestricted dog use on the former mauka lawn resulted in sanitary and maintenance issues, limiting its ability to benefit the broader community, so Ward Village adopted dog guidelines consistent with most Honolulu parks,” according to the statement.
“Ward Village remains a pet‑friendly community, with dogs welcome on designated pathways and use of private residential dog areas within residential buildings, as well as nearby public options such as the new Kolowalu Dog Park,” the statement continued.
A member of the Ala Moana-Kakaʻako Neighborhood Board asked a representative from Howard Hughes Corp. last year if the park was pet-friendly.
The answer: “Yes. But you have to have leashed pets.”
“I think they're contradicting themselves,” said Jeanne Rice, vice chair of the Ala Moana-Kakaʻako Neighborhood Board. “Because they're saying dogs are welcome in all of their buildings, but oops, you can't go on the grass.”
A petition to keep the park pet-friendly has gained nearly 300 signatures.
Residents are hoping for a compromise, such as that dogs be off-limits at playgrounds or a third of the grass area.
“We're not asking for special treatment,” Goldstein said. “We're asking for reasonable policies that reflect the neighborhood that was promised and the neighborhood that people chose to call home.”
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