Dog Park Committee Seeks Creative Dog Advocates

as published in the Mountain Mail on

July 9, 2018...

During a June dog park advisory committee meeting, we discussed and envisioned possible improvements to the dog park in the next five years. This five year plan included ideas such as possibly more trees, a grassy area, a self dog wash, safe agility equipment, a way-finding sign at the corner of Holman and Highway 50, some type of toileting building for dog park users, and more shade at the east end of the park.

Some of the ideas require a more complex water and irrigation system at the park. We’re fortunate that a spigot and simple irrigation system has already been installed to have water available for dogs to drink and to establish trees currently in the park. Maintaining a grassy area and/or dog wash would take a more sophisticated system.

As the advisory committee discussed ideas, it became clear that it will be important to get more input from other community members and particularly users of the dog park. In an effort to make this possible, we’ve created an e-mail address where suggestions can be sent. The e-mail address is SalidaDogClub@gmail.com.

It also became clear that, before the ideas that the advisory committee and other community member/dog club members could be implemented, a (literally) “big picture” needs to be created. Hopefully this article will recruit one or more landscape architects (and others) to hop on board.

The plan is to have drawn out some possible improvements to the dog park. The next step will be to have the dog park advisory committee collaboratively figure out the logistics (financial, labor) of having the improvements happen.

The Salida Dog Club and Dog Park Advisory Committee members encourage all members of the community to get involved in making Loyal Duke’s Dog Park an even better dog park. Send in ideas to SalidaDogClub@gmail.com, join the Salida Dog Club (request a brochure through the e-mail), or talk to one of the Salida Dog Club board members (Laura Pintane, Tom Pahnke, Lisa Marvel) or Dog Park Advisory Committee members (Will Taliaferro, Brandon Hawkin, and the Salida Dog Club board).

Laura Pintane is a local dog trainer and advocate of safe, recreational, and educational activities for dogs