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Dog Owners Pleased By Compromise To Allow Pooches On Path Through Maggie Daley Park

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The dog fight over Maggie Daley Park is over. Pooches and their parents are now allowed in, but only in certain areas.

CBS 2's Mike Parker explains the new rules.

Oakley has a new hero, and so does Bentley and dozens of other dogs who live in the high rises across Randolph Street from Maggie Daley Park where until now, they've been banned.

Their hero? Their alderman.

"I heard from thousands of residents that have four legged friends, asking for at least a route through Maggie Daley Park to get to the lakefront trail," said 42nd Ward Alderman Brendan Reilly.

Reilly has finally managed to get approval of a route like that from the Chicago Park District.

"It's really a shame that the citizens had to have an uprising to get that change because Maggie Daley had two dogs and she loved dogs and she would have been absolutely so unhappy with the struggle that we've had," said dog owner Joyce Day.

Their owners will have to leash their dogs as they make their way along a path on the eastern edge of the park. On the south, it extends from Grant Park at Monroe then skirts the Cancer Survivors Garden and continues to Randolph on the north. Most of the rest of the park land will still be off limits to dogs.

Oakley the Welsh corgie has a little traveling in his future.

"If we go down a little bit further in the other direction, having that open will be really nice, to get the dogs out," said dog owner Kim Burdakin. "They love to walk."

The Park District is asking us to remind dog owners and their best friends, this is only a path through the park...this has not suddenly become a dog park. No running free - leashes and good behavior please.

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