Tails Are Wagging At Windsor Dog Park

Short dogs, tall dogs, white dogs, black dogs. They all came to the Windsor Dog Park Thursday evening to play and frolic under sunny skies.

The Windsor Dog Park, located at Northwest Park, has been attracting canine attention since it opened. “Yappy Hour,” as it was called, was the first event if its kind at the park.

Organized by park’s volunteers, the get together was an effort to get the word out about what the dog park offers and attract new members, which are in need to ensure the quality of life for both dogs and their owners in town.

The small number of volunteers the park presently has is just for maintenance, but looking towards the future, when improvements will likely be needed, more paws will be needed.

The future was on the minds of many who visited the park Thursday, discussing and making suggestions for improvements, something that was music to the ears of Windsor Dog Park President Liz Hoffman.

“We love the fact that people want to get involved,” she said.

The top requests for the playground are shade and water.

“They have to plant some trees,” said Rick Westman, who was in attendance Thursday. For animals who will spend many summer days running in the fenced-in area will be in need of refreshments. “A source of water… that’s always a plus,” Westman added.

But while Hoffman also sees the need for the improvements, there are complications.

“We would love trees,” she said, “but there’s no way to protect them from all the dogs peeing on them.”

A man-made shelter is something that has been proposed as a possible alternative, but in the mean time, the park offers a great place for dogs to socialize. It’s one of the few places in town where dogs can legally roam off leash, but deciding where those places are can be a little confusing for owners.

“There’s no ambiguity here. Other areas in town [are] gray areas,” said Mike Falk, who enjoys the dog park because it’s a “safe environment” for dogs to be off their leads.

While “as long as the owner/keeper keeps the dog under restraint,” the limited number of areas allows for limited opportunity for dogs to socialize.

“There’s really nowhere else you can let groups of dogs off their leads,” he said.

The need for space for dogs to roam, particularly in areas away from non-dog owners was the subject of heated discussion in town council meetings in months prior. Dog owners allowing their animals to roam on long leashes and on others’ property led to Animal Control Officer Brian Davis to present an ordinance to amend language in town code that would require dog owners to use a leash not exceeding six feet in length when walking their dog.

The ordinance did not pass as introduced, nixing the length requirement, but requiring that owners have their dogs “under restraint.”

Dogs and their owners will have the opportunity to get together again for a “Small Dog Social” on Wed., July 6 from 5 p.m. – 6 p.m. at the dog park.

For more information on the dog park or to volunteer, visit www.windsordogpark.org.