On my vacation, I visited my brother, Jim Morelan, who lives in the San Jose area. He owns a Border Collie named Champion, which he takes to dog parks to run and play with other animals.
While there, we went to three different dog parks. I had so much fun watching the dogs romp and play with each other. The parks had Frisbees and tennis balls for the owners to play with their dogs. It was like watching children play. They had park tables and lawn chairs for the dog owners to use.
What I liked about the dog parks is that they were very clean! There were small plastic bag dispensers for the owners to clean up after their animals. They had containers for trash and containers to put the waste in. You would see the owners of the animals pick up after their dogs. They also picked up trash that blew into the area. They had drinking fountains for people and for the dogs. One of the parks had a walking path around the inside of the fence for the owners to walk while their dogs were playing.
The way the parks were set up, there was an en-trance gate that led into a safety pen where the dogs were unleashed before en-tering the dog park. From the safety pen, there were two smaller gates, one leading to the small dog area and the other one leading to the all-dogs area. The safety gate was designed to prevent the dogs from escaping and it helped with leashing and unleashing the dogs.
These parks did not allow aggressive dogs into the parks. They had other rules that kept the dogs and people safe. I think having a dog park is very positive and it is healthier for the community. Try visiting a dog park and you will see what I am talking about.
I don’t even own a dog, but enjoy watching them romp and play and watching the owners have a great time with their pets. It is a very positive thing a community can do!
Peg J. Griffith
Humboldt, Kan.
