Membership Operated Dog Park In Marysville

Union County commissioners are considering a proposal for a membership-operated dog park. It would be located on land next to the Humane Society facility.

Steffen Baldwin, executive director of the Union County Humane Society, Susan Adkinson, board president, and Meg Michel, a board member, approached the commissioners about the land use earlier this month.

"We feel we could offer a whole lot to the community and to the residents of Union County with a membership-run dog park," Baldwin said.

He would like to see a dog park open as early as May, but the commissioners didn't think that was likely.

Baldwin recommended that a member be charged about $120. He said the closest dog park, located in Delaware County, charges $125.

"Our thoughts for this summer, if it would become a reality, would be to start out on a small scale," said Baldwin, "with Friday, Saturday and Sunday operations. That way we could manage it."

With a dog park next to the Humane Society, he said, dog owners would be reminded about rabies shots and dog tags or licenses.

"We could also offer a lot of community benefit programs and enrichment programs," Baldwin said.

Training sessions could be offered at the site, along with an "Ask the Vet" session in which the on-staff veterinarian responds to dog owner questions. Eventually, Baldwin said, training sessions could be offered on dog etiquette and agility classes. He said a concession stand and a restroom could be built.

"We could fence it off with a double L-fence entry," he said, "maybe a small dog and large dog partition."

Baldwin said he and the two board members wanted the commissioners to give them the OK to proceed with developing a plan.

"We wanted your take on it before we invested a whole lot of time to research it," said Adkinson.
Commissioner Tom McCarthy asked the group to explain what they meant by a dog park.
"You go and you let the dog race around," said Adkinson. "Sometimes they will get together with other dogs and they will just start playing and people go in, too."

Picnic tables, she said, allow owners to sit and watch their dogs play.

"It's a place for the dogs to just zoom and get some energy out," said Adkinson. "Usually they are divided into small dogs and large dogs and a time-out area."

With the Humane Society right next door, Baldwin said, it would offer more benefits than a city-operated facility.

"We would be able to offer a better experience for the community, because our Top Dog volunteers would be out there to intervene," he said.

Dog fights sometimes occur in common parks, but, Baldwin said, the Humane Society would be able to limit the fights and lower any sort of liabilities or risks.

Through their investigation, Michel said, they discovered there have been numerous requests for dog parks across the country.

The commissioners said about six months ago, a community member talked with them about the need for a dog park.

Michel said it would be easier to train people than having folks surrender their pets.

Baldwin moved to the area from Los Angeles, where there were multiple five- to seven-acre dog parks with at least 30 in the city. Indianapolis has a Humane Society dog park, he said.
McCarthy said long-term demand for space near the Humane Society facility is pretty high and he would like to determine how much land could be set aside, if any.
"What it should encourage us to do is look at that land and the longer-term plans for the campus," he said.

McCarthy and fellow commissioners are concerned that if they carve out space for the dog park and then there is a need to locate a building on the site, the commissioners sitting on the board in 10 to 15 years would have to contend with a "bunch of angry dog owners."

"We need to consider it in the context of the other needs of the county," said McCarthy.
Michel said in about six to eight years, the Humane Society will be looking at expanding.
Commissioner Charles Hall was concerned about maintenance of a possible dog park and the difficulties in mowing and weeding around fencing.

Commissioner Gary Lee asked engineer Jeff Stauch to look into the situation. Stauch said on March 16 that he had not had a chance to contact all parties.
The commissioners didn't deny the group the opportunity to proceed with research, but McCarthy asked the board members and director to give the commissioners time to consider the situation.

From This Week Community Newspapers
March 21, 2009
By CATHY WOGAN
ThisWeek Staff Writer