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Dog parks: What do you want in Fairfax County?

Fairfax County, Virginia, pet owners have a chance to weigh in on the state and future of the county’s dog parks.

There are 11 municipal dog parks in the county, and the park authority is doing an in-depth study of these facilities to assess current needs, future priorities and to explore rules and etiquette, as well as sponsorship and volunteer opportunities.

The survey asks how far you are willing to walk or drive for your pet to play off-leash; whether there are issues that concern you, such as lack of water, aggressive dogs, or excessive odor or waste; and whether you care if there are benches, shade and water fountains for pets and people.

It also asks whether you agree with the rule that allows someone to bring only two dogs at a time.

The parks authority also wants to know whether agility and water play features, landscaping, grass surfaces, parking and bathrooms for people are important to you.

You can submit your answers and comments through Dec. 15 on the park authority’s website.

Va. health dept. improves nursing home inspection backlog, reforms sanction criteria for facilities

Stories of neglect in care or unsanitary living situations have plagued several of Virginia’s nursing home facilities in recent years and data backs up a lapse in oversight by state agencies.  With reform efforts underway, the Virginia Department of Health officials said they aim to adopt sanction criteria by the end of the year to rein in bad actors and get troubled facilities back on track.  As of July, 58% of Virginia’s nursing homes were overdue for inspections and 68 of Virginia’s 289 nursing homes were found to have serious deficiencies, according to ProPublica. Several of the state’s flagged facilities with numerous deficiencies also had high staffing turnover rates.  The issue has been salient among various healthcare spaces, including VDH. 
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