No matter how cities grow, dogs need to run around.
The use of park space for off-leash areas is often contentious, but dogs deserve their own parks where they can socialize and exercise. Dog parks make for happier dogs and reduce conflicts between dog enthusiasts and those who’d rather keep their distance.
Snohomish County dog fans have worked hard to create dog parks, adding park after park in Everett, Gold Bar, Edmonds and Snohomish. Bothell and Marysville are looking at their options and Monroe’s first dog park, Wiggly Field, will open on July 19.
Wiggly Field still needs water fountains, benches and other amenities, but a core of about 40 volunteers has worked hard to make the park a reality — raising more than $4,500 in less than three months. Monroe is a great example of dog owners realizing the need for recreation and setting out to achieve it quickly and efficiently. If you’d like to help build fences for the park, a work party will meet from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on July 12 at Sky River Park.
The Willis Tucker dog park in Snohomish should be finished by early August, said Cibyl Perkins, director of Sno-DOG, a group that supports off-leash areas. A smaller, temporary park has been open there since last summer, but volunteers should finish clearing brush and fencing the 11-acre site over the next few weekends. To volunteer, contact volunteers@sno-dog.org.
In Marysville, the City Council will vote on a proposed 3-acre dog park at Strawberry Fields on July 14. The park will likely be temporary until planned athletic fields can be built — a beneficial and creative use of land that would otherwise be in limbo. And in Everett, a new dog park should open by early 2009, near the new animal shelter under construction at Langus Park. These initiatives reflect the high demand for dog parks, and cities working to meet it.
Dog parks are a privilege: They aren’t staffed and rely on pet owners and volunteers to self-police. Reminding those who forget the rules is perfectly within etiquette.
The sprouting up of local dog parks makes it easier to be a good pet owner and socialize with neighbors. The parks may not rank high in priority for city dollars, but their popularity shows how dog owners can come together to give their pets and themselves a place to goof off and chill out. Dog parks are something for any community to brag about. And they make for better doggy citizens.
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