Dogs

Love your Dog Park?You Can Help Save it!

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

What's happening with dog parks in your area? Although my meager efforts to monitor things is clearly not thorough, I can't help but notice news flashes about the occasional dog park that is closed due to lack of funding for maintenance. I know if it is happening here, it is likely occurring in other areas as well. Times are tough for cities, with tax revenue lagging behind previous years; this means non-essential services have to be cut. Dog parks are sometimes first on the ax list.

Worse yet, some communities don't have a dog park at all, and have no hopes of getting one during these challenging economic times. My mother's town has only a paid membership dog park, although it is a nice one. Thankfully she enjoys her membership several times a week to keep her little Jacque well socialized and exercised.

So, perhaps you're asking yourself what you can do about this. I've made a small effort to get something going here--awareness. If you're concerned about the fate of your own dog park and don't want to risk losing it, you can adopt it. Here's how:

Let your city know you'll be walking the park each week, picking up trash and missed landmines in an effort to assist with the upkeep.
Tell them how important your park is to you and your fellow dog lovers, and their dogs. Ask if your park is at risk.
Encourage others to keep up their end of the bargain by following the park rules and cleaning up after their own dog.
Finally, if you learn that there may be trouble brewing, be proactive. Rally a group of regular park-goers to help with maintenance throughout the week.

One more thing--by following up with regular training and good leadership, we can all bring a better-behaved dog to the park. Why is this important? Because a dog with issues may be a ticking time bomb at a dog park. Be sure your dog is ready before bringing him into a busy, high-spirited play group. If your dog needs socializing and has shown any signs of anxiety in groups, start small and work up gradually to larger groups of dogs. Choose off days and times in the beginning, so your dog can learn the ropes and practice his social skills without being overwhelmed.

Finally, I'll be happy to include you or your dog, as the sponsor of your local dog park, on my Adopt a Dog Park site. Send me your name or your dog's name, along with a photo of Fido if you like, and I'll post them on the site. My email address is [email protected]. Check it out and join the fun; dog parks are a great way to meet other dog lovers, while your dog enjoys the social exercise and playtime he craves.

Before I go, there's one more piece of business. Be sure to stop by Btc4Animals to thank them for sponsoring this Blog the Change day. You'll find links to loads of other causes that may pull your heartstrings. Check 'em out and pick one to get involved in; it's great karma. See you at the park!

Visit Adopt a Dog Park

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