More on the Barnstable Dog Park

Friday, Grigri and I cleaned the lane north of the airport on Route 149 because I was curious about a site proposed for the first Barnstable Dog Park. This is a beautiful place to walk on a warm April afternoon with the sun slanting down across acres of green. It's apparently currently in use as a police dog training facility.

The lane is a sandy vehicle path like the ones we used to run around on with bare feet in the summer in our neighborhood. Sadly, now most are paved. It leads through brush to an opening at the north end of the airport where there's a remote controlled aircraft launching site, operated by a club. On Friday two guys were trying to get a rather large helicopter up but I didn't see them succeed at it. Looks like fun though.

Although I know there were objections to this site as a dog park because the lane is narrow and it would take some work to develop parking, I thought it was a fantastic place and I'll definitely be back soon to explore further. The things I like about it were that it was far from any homes so barking or traffic would not annoy anyone and there are plenty of trails nearby to work off excess energy before entering the park. Whether this site becomes a dog park or not, I'm happy to have found it. One thing about Cape Cod… there's no dearth of beautiful trails and beaches to enjoy, and Aussie Pet Mobile of Cape Cod is doing our best to keep them clean.

FYI - The Committee for Barnstable Dog Parks welcomes new members and contributors. We meet the last Thursday of the month at the Hyannis Senior Center at 6:30. Next meeting would be May 26th.

Let's Make a Dog Park!

When we adopted Grigri last year I spent some time on the internet looking for a local dog park. But found exactly none. That's why I was so happy to see an article in the Barnstable Patriot that a committee to establish a dog park for Barnstable County was forming.

What is a dog park? There aren't very many on Cape Cod but they are popping up all over the country. Typically a dog park is a fenced area where dogs are allowed to play off leash. Usually there are separate areas for small and large dogs, with vestibule entries that prevent dogs from dashing out the gate when others enter. Water bowls, poop bags and garbage cans are common fixtures and some parks have balls and other toys available. The great thing about dog parks is that they allow our pets to socialize with other dogs - something they have few opportunities to do on leash, in yards, or in homes. It's also a great social opportunity for dog owners to make new friends and talk about their favorite topic: our dogs!

I attended the March 24th meeting of the Committee for Barnstable Dog Parks where I met a really enthusiastic group of dog owners. They have made enormous progress in the three months they have been organizing and have identified several potential sites. Grigri and I visited the Danforth Property, which is one seemingly desirable spot.

The Danforth Property is located near the intersection of Race Lane and Route 149. We cleaned the trail to Mystic Lake there and found the tunnel that originally offered cows the chance to walk under the road down to the lake for water. There is parking, and across the road at the airport a magical trail called Sumac Grove that winds through a sumac forest with deep grass underneath. I imagine it is lovely in summer - can't wait to return.

These trails were nice and clean with the exception of the usual beverage containers and the occasional spot some dog owner overlooked. Sometimes you just run out of bags I guess. I'm hoping the new Committee for Barnstable Dog Parks succeeds in setting the tone for dog owners in Barnstable by emphasizing the need to be extra careful of our pets' waste in order to protect Cape Cod's natural beauty (and high water table). If we each cleaned up a little bit more than our share, we'd win the battle!

Meetings of the Committee for Barnstable Dog Parks are slated for the 4th Thursday of the month at 6:30 PM at the Hyannis Senior Center on Route 28 (multipurpose room) and all are welcome. However, in April an alternate date has been suggested (April 21) due to conflicts.