Dog parks provide a place for dogs to run off-leash and socialize with other dogs and are also a place where dog owners can meet and socialize with other dog lovers. Several residents of Bredenbury have approached town council expressing an interest in setting up a dog park in the community. This dog park would be organized, operated and maintained by the Town of Bredenbury along with the help of volunteers and set up on a property owned by the town (the specific location is currently undecided).
The neighboring town of Churchbridge has been experiencing the benefits of a dog park for the past 5 years. The park is managed by the Churchbridge Dog Park Committee who meet and communicate about the operation of the park. The Town of Churchbridge cuts the grass at the park in the summer and keeps the road to the park clear in the winter. Volunteers check the park every month for any dog feces that were not picked up by owners and empty the garbage cans.
Ellen Spilchen is the president of the Churchbridge Dog Park Committee and feels that the dog park is an important part of the town. “This community has a very large dog population, and it is important that these dogs can be socialized with other dogs so there are no problems with aggression or nervousness toward other dogs. People wise, I have met many different people in the community that I might not otherwise cross paths with while being at the park. We also have people from other towns coming to use our park, so those are the benefits for our community,” she says.
The dog park also comes with some challenges that must be considered by any town thinking about getting one. “Finding enough volunteers can be challenging. I have encouraged dog park users to get involved in our fundraising, garbage pickup, and as of right now, we only have a few volunteers. It seems many enjoy the park but are not interested in helping out with the maintenance of it. The other challenge is trying to keep our park clean. This year especially, we have encountered a large amount of dog feces not picked up by their owners, and so the committee members had to pitch in to keep the park clean,” Ellen says.
Making sure the dog park is a positive experience for both the dog owner and dog is mostly about being aware. Spilchen said, “I would say to look at the energy your dog has coming into the park. If a dog is too excited or nervous around other dogs it could become a problem. Always have a leash nearby if you are not sure how your dog will react to others. People have also used the small dog area to put their dog in to gauge how it will react to other dogs. Also, of course I have said many times that the common courtesy is to pick up after your dog and pay attention to where he/she is at all times.”
“I am very proud of our park, and would like to thank the main volunteers on our committee for making it a wonderful place for dogs to run and play! I have met a few people from out of town visiting family or just camping at the campground across the road enjoying our park and they all commented that it was a beautiful park.”
The Bredenbury dog park is still in its beginning stages of planning but if you would like Bredenbury to get a dog park and/or are interested in volunteering to help with the dog park, you can contact the Town of Bredenbury. If people express a desire for a dog park, the Bredenbury Town Council will work with volunteers to bring a dog park to Bredenbury.