It is not the norm in any average community to plan for off-leash spaces when considering a new park. Just as it is almost always the case that any new park dedicated entirely to dogs is created in response to some kind of public outcry or as a result of overwhelming generosity from some individual or group. Let’s face it…it costs more money to allow dogs in any park because of fencing, permits, EPA regulations, plumbing, planning, hardware, and maintenance. We as dog owners must request, if not demand, that our pets have the freedom to be true to their kind and be allowed a piece of public space to simply be themselves. There is much we can do, but we have to be willing to apply and allow tax funding for public spaces. It is our responsibility to make sure our local government knows that we want dog parks and leash-free spaces for our pets and that we are willing to pay for it. Just as it is up to us to be responsible dog owners with well balanced dogs and to train our pets well so that we can overcome any stigma that may exist as a result of the bad dog owners before us…
It’s usually not too hard to find dog parks in your area… you can ask anyone you see with a dog. Everyone else should be able to tell you about all the dog parks within a 50 mile radius. You can try checking with your local park service, but they often don’t have very knowledgeable or up-to-date information on their websites. If you are going to contact them I recommend that you call. Once you know what parks there are, you should stop by and check it out. Try to go on a Sunday afternoon if you want to be around other people and dogs; if not, try any day of the week before 4 pm What do you think? Is it everything you thought it would be? Was there a park to go to? Did you have high hopes? From my experience, a great dog park is a rare gem. We are lucky to have 2 in our area. Fort Steilacoom Park in Lakewood, Washington (just outside of Tacoma) has a large number of acres dedicated to dogs. And Magnuson Park in Seattle has a huge dog park with lots of small areas and an entrance to Lake Washington. We are truly blessed with these parks, but it took some efforts to bring them to fruition. The off-leash area at Fort Steilacoom Park was over 5 years in the making and I’m not sure about Magnuson, but I’m guessing it will be the same.
From what I understand, the process for opening a new dog park or developing any space in an existing park goes something like this…First you have to find the motivation. Maybe enough local residents will band together to make a big fuss and get the local officials motivated. Or maybe enough motivated people will petition and propose it to their local government first. Either way, the motivation to start the process must be found and once you have it, you are already involved in the big bureaucracy! I attribute this point in the process to “Hurry up and STOP!” Now the idea is previously proposed and on the agenda. This usually commits for something like six months to a year. The idea is to confirm that the park is something worth pursuing and, more importantly… is there funding available? The answer is more often than not not going to be no. Parks are typically only created or updated when the city or county is undergoing a rejuvenation process or the money for the idea is raised by an outside organization or donated by a philanthropist. That’s not to say it can’t be done. The good news is that at this point you only need enough money to propose a study.
This is when it helps to have a plan B: make a big stink! Send email after email. Mail letters. Call any and all local officials who will take your calls. The idea is to make sure that any individual or individuals know personally that the need exists. If the politician’s best interest is to accomplish a task, then it will be done…and if that means no more letters or phone calls to you and all your pup friends, then so be it. Let’s assume at this point that we have at least some of the money or that we have managed to motivate some local politicians. Now we are going to carry out a study. The park service can call all their friends to run surveys and tests to see if the EPA is going to allow the park and how much more money would be needed to bring the park to fruition. From fence posts to water lines, there is a specific number that it will take and the local government needs to know what that is.
During the study, it is important to remember to call the local bureaucrats and politely ask if there are any updates. Of course, they won’t have any information for you and will most likely refer you to the park service website, but we can’t forget that persistence is the key. Once the study, which typically takes six months to a year, is complete and the park seems likely to be approved by the EPA, we can hope that the powers that be will take the park to a formal vote. This is where it helps to know who’s who in your area. Make the calls and send those letters. All the same rules apply. There is power in numbers. The will and the money have to come from somewhere… and there’s no reason it can’t be inspired by you.