The fastest growing single-purpose park in the nation is — for dogs?
Lansing will join the nationwide trend this fall by adding Ingham County's first dog park to the east side of Scott Woods.
The 17.5 acre fenced area of Hawk Island County Park features fields, a wooded area and a pond — all designed for dogs and their owners to exercise, socialize and enjoy the outdoors.
"The idea is that (dogs and owners) will be able to walk and run without being right next to other people," said Ellen Sullivan, president of Friends of Greater Lansing Dog Parks, or FGLDP, the volunteer group that helped bring the park to Lansing. "(And to) get some of that exercise you need (that) is not possible to do with dogs on a leash in the neighborhood."
The cost for the dog park is $100,000. Ingham County started the funding with a $5,000 challenge grant that the city of Lansing matched. Howard Soldan II of Soldan's Feed and Pet Supply donated $50,000, and FGLDP raised $20,000. The $80,000 was enough to purchase the fencing and get the project started, Sullivan said.
There are several parks in Lansing where dogs are welcome, but must be on a 6-foot leash at all times; East Lansing parks require an 8-foot leash.
Lansing resident Diane West already has a spot where she and other dog owners let their pets run unleashed and free.
"Most dogs are pretty darn happy to run," said West, "I wish they had an official dog park … We have an unofficial one where we let them go off-leash."
Every Saturday morning, West and her nine-year-old Doberman pinscher, Capone, go to the MSU agriculture grounds to meet other dogs and their owners, a practice West believes is just as important as exercise.
"If you have a socialized dog it's great because they get their socialization (and) their exercise … My dog, he just loves other dogs," she said. "It's like we are one kind of little community by ourselves. We are dog lovers; we don't know each other's names, but we know each other's dogs' names."
Yet dog parks have not always been a welcome addition to Michigan counties. Carolyn Kinsler worked to bring a dog park to Ann Arbor, but after the effort didn't go anywhere, Kinsler opened her own private dog park, Paw Run Recreation Area.
"I had heard about a private dog park down in Florida and thought the same thing could be done in Ann Arbor," she said.
Paw Run Recreation Area has 150 members. All dogs must pass a temperament test and have up-to-date shots in order to join. Memberships can be purchased as a day pass, which costs $4 for the first dog and $2 for the second, a month pass or a yearly pass, which cost $220 for the first dog and $50 for the second.
"It definitely is a trend. I've — within the past 10 years — (seen) it getting more and more popular," Kinsler said.
Dog parks originated on the West Coast, starting in Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles, she said. "Los Angeles has had a dog beach for a long time."
Dog parks are not only a benefit to the dogs, but to the owners as well, Kinsler said.
"We've found that a dog park is just as good for people as it is for the dogs," she said, "It's another way for people to meet each other who have the same interest."
Kinsler said dog parks can help reduce the level of obesity in dogs, a much needed reduction since 40 percent of dogs in America are overweight.
Lansing's dog park has had the support of the city from the beginning and will be open to the public, Sullivan said.
When the plan was first addressed five years ago, the nation had nearly 400 dog parks. There are closer to 1,000 such parks now, she said.
Though Sullivan said East Lansing has shown some interest in the idea of a dog park, Lansing is the only city in the area with a park in the plans.
"We think it's going to be very popular, and that is why we have focused on getting a bigger piece of land to begin with," she said.
