Dog park to be a reality for Park District

After seeing the success of several events for dogs and their owners in Carol Stream, Park District officials say they have no doubt a dog park will be popular among village residents.

Both the Park District’s Dog Festival in September and flashlight Easter egg hunt for children and dogs this spring were widely attended.

“So many of the programs I do are child-oriented events, but what’s nice is that these dog events brings out all sorts of new faces — people who don’t have kids or whose children are grown up,” said Suzanne Waghorne, recreation coordinator for the Carol Stream Park District.

She said she already sees many people walking their four-legged friends in many of the area parks.

“There’s an amazing amount of people that are really active with their dogs,” she said. “So the timing is perfect for (a dog park).”

Park officials have secured 20 acres just south of the district’s maintenance garage on Kuhn Road for the dog park through a no-cost five-year lease from the Illinois Department of Transportation.

After a dog park began appearing regularly on the list of amenities people most want to see in Carol Stream, park officials knew it was time to bring one to the village.

“We do community needs assessments every three to five years,” said Julie Vogl, Carol Stream Park District’s director of marketing services. “A dog park kept coming up.”

Because it wasn’t one of the top needs, park officials did not address it in the 2000 referendum.

But when residents seemed to be more persistent in communitywide surveys done in 2004 and 2008, it was included in the $37 million referendum approved in February. The money will be used for a rec center and pool; expanding trails; lighting for parks, trails and athletic fields; sports field engineering to reduce flooding; and the off-leash dog park.

Vogl said the Park District now is in the fact-finding and design phase.

“We’re doing some preliminary designs based on other dog parks, and we’ll present a few ideas to the community for input and see what they say,” she said.

Park officials hope to open the dog park next year. They plan to track and report the progress through each phase of the referendum project on the Park District’s website.

Carol Stream resident Sean Warner is one dog owner who plans to take advantage of the park when it’s completed.

While he and his pets often take long walks in the DuPage County forest preserves for exercise, they also frequent area dog parks.

“I would love to have one in Carol Stream since as of now, I drive 15 minutes or so to get to one,” he said.

He said dog parks can be great for dog socialization.

“When you see a dog that is afraid or angry at other dogs or people, they have not been socialized,” Warner said. “Dog parks are great for dog socialization and when done right, help dogs develop healthy responses to other dogs as well as people.”

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Dogs Make Great Neighbors

 Gus and Jack 

 

I'm a dog owner. In fact, I spend so much time and energy on my dogs that I have recently taken to calling myself a crazy dog lady. I figure hey, at least it's better than being a crazy cat lady. I work in a shared office space in the Arts District of Downtown Los Angeles along with several other dog-lovers. We were overjoyed at the recent news that our neighborhood would soon have a dog park - the very first dog park in downtown LA! As you know, Downtown has been undergoing a major transformation in recent years. Streets that just a few years ago most people wouldn't dare to tread are now home to the city's hippest bars and restaurants, loft apartments and cultural events. The arrival of Downtown LA's first dog park is a milestone for the area's transformation.

So I got to thinking... What impact would the dog park have on the area? How do dog parks, and dogs in general, change neighborhoods? I've already expressed my bias at the outset and my thoughts here are in no way scientifically validated but I've got a hunch that dog parks have a positive impact on neighborhoods. I know from personal experience that dog parks can be social hubs of a community. I've spent hours chatting with my neighbors at the Silverlake dog park. I know all their dogs' names. I know which ones get along best with my dogs. I'm even learning more about their owners, what they do for a living, where they stand on certain political issues... There's lots of time to talk about all sorts of stuff while the dogs run around. The dogs act as a sort of ice breaker. "Hey, my dog really likes to hump your dog. Wanna go out for coffee?" OK, maybe not exactly like that but once your dogs make friends, it's hard not to follow suit. Single guys have known this for ages.

In some urban areas, dog walkers are the only pedestrians. Without them, parks and other common spaces can easily devolve into dangerous places. Richard Layman points out that building more dog parks is a much cheaper path to public safety than putting more cops on the streets.

The sad truth is that most of us don't know our neighbors anymore. There is a strong movement afoot to change that with the growing popularity of farmers markets, neighborhood potlucks, and yes - dog parks. These shared experiences and events help unite us with our neighbors and pave the way for casual conversation and friendly introductions. A neighborhood that knows one another is a safer, friendlier, happier place to live. Dogs can help create neighborhoods like that. That's more than you can say for cats. 

By Micki Krimmel
Founder of NeighborGoods.net

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Four dogs die yesterday in heat; humane society reminds you to water, shade pets

Pam Testi of the Daviess County Humane Society reports that four dogs died in Gallatin yesterday due to the extreme heat.

She reminds owners in Gallatin and the surrounding community to make sure their pets have plenty of water and shade.

"A baby pool of water is helpful," Mrs. Testi said. "Or you might want to hose your dog down."
She recommends owners check the water at least twice a day and provide the animal with a place to get away from the heat. Owners with dogs on chains should keep an eye that they not get tangled to where they can’t reach water or shade.

Most importantly, if you see an animal suffering from the heat, remind the owner or call the Daviess County Humane Society at 660-605-4072 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              660-605-4072      end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

If your dog does suffer from heat stroke, the humane society’s veterinarian recommends giving the dog a cool bath or placing an ice pack on the inner legs to try and bring the inner temperature down.

From Gallatin North Missourian (gallatinnorthmissourian.com)

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Find thousands of cute dogs and puppies looking for good homes in the USA. Get dogs, puppies and various world famous, rare and real breeds of dogs at www.e-dogsite.com. Buy, sale and advertise dogs and puppies of various breed and also get the free buyer tips for dogs and puppies.