Letter to the Editor - Walking Trail

Anyone with a computer or a smart phone can google “dog parks” and explore the pros and cons. You can ask the opinions of veterinarians such as myself, dog psychologists, and other animal care experts as to the advantages and disadvantages of dog parks. When asked to write a letter about dog parks I decided to interview people who use them on a regular basis. They are the real experts. My daughter Kelly who lives in Fort Collins started taking her dog Lucy to parks when Lucy was four months old. Both of them love the whole dog park experience. Kelly gets to unwind after a long day of work and Lucy has a great time running and playing with other dogs after being cooped up all day in her yard at home. Kelly and Lucy go to the dog park two or three times a week. I asked Kelly if she or Lucy have ever had a problem of any kind and the answer was never. If you are ever in a town or city with a park, stop and watch for a while. It is a real hoot.

To me dog parks are similar to school playgrounds, and have the same advantages. Kids get to socialize, they get to run and play and blow off steam, and for part of the day are active both physically and mentally. The benefits of social and physical activity are well documented. In my opinion as a veterinarian and longtime dog lover, dogs are no different then people in this respect.

Dog parks I have been to work well where people follow the rules, and the rules are enforced. Rules such as no aggressive dogs, pick up poop even if it doesn’t belong to your dog, only bring healthy vaccinated dogs to the park, and never drop your dog off and leave them unattended, are common to all dog parks I have been at. When people follow the rules dog parks work well and are an asset to the communities where they are located. Many local communities such as Scottsbluff, Cheyenne, North Plate and all communities of any size in the front range of Colorado have dog parks.

Hats off to the walking trail project and all the volunteers who are working hard to bring it to a reality.

Jim Young