Dog parks can add to communities

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Delhi looks like it might be going to the dogs. Let’s rephrase that. A pitch has been made for a new dog park in town.

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News of the proposed park was published a couple of weeks ago. The idea is the brainchild of the Kin Club of Delhi with a suggested location between the south side of the arena and Big Creek.

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The published story presented the basics of the proposed project yet left some questions unanswered. It noted $28,000 would be needed to erect fencing for the area – a cost that will be shared between the Kin Club and Norfolk County.

The need for fencing hints this will be an off-leash park that will allow dogs to run themselves silly and get some exercise beyond their daily leashed walks. The published account didn’t mention how the park might impact the tobogganing hill. Presumably, the park will be situated at the base of the hill so that tobogganing enthusiasts will continue to have ample room for snow sliding.

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Toboggans tend to run out of gravity shortly after reaching the bottom of the hill, leaving plenty of space for dogs to have some fun of their own without the worry of a toboggan-canine collision. I’m guessing this is the planned scenario. Of course, it’s a non-issue outside of winter.

Dog parks that are well planned tend to work out nicely for a community. Dog owners are apt to get more mileage out of their pets when they’re physically fit. There is always the chance that an impromptu canine battle royal could erupt at an off-leash park if an overly aggressive dog or two enter the fenced enclosure. Dog owners will have to use their best judgment before unleashing their animals.

The last thing anyone wants to see is Fido and Rover duking it out with one another. One or both is bound to get hurt. Their masters will need to be close at hand to intervene if such a dust-up occurs.

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Will there be a limit to the number of dogs in the park at any one time? Will it be restricted to dogs that are fixed?

There’s also the matter of the park’s cleanup. Ample defecation is a certainty. Cleanup will no doubt be the dog owner’s responsibility, but much of it is apt to go unchecked.

“That pile over there is my dog’s, but the mess next to it is someone else’s. I’m not cleaning up some other dog’s crap.”

Who gets tasked with cleaning up the leftovers? The Kin Club – which has done some pretty amazing things for the good of Delhi over the years – will want to keep a tidy park, especially when its name is attached to it. Perhaps the club’s members will take turns volunteering to do this unenviable job.

No doubt the Kin Club has done its homework regarding the implications of a dog park, and perhaps many of these concerns won’t be concerns at all.

Mike Jiggens is a Delhi resident

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