by Mike Rosso
It was a chance visit to an Englewood, Colorado dog park that ultimately led to the creation of Chaffee County’s first open space for dogs, Loyal Duke’s Dog Park.
The dog park, which opened its gates on November 29, 2009, is the brainchild of Salida resident Laura Pintaine, who, along with her husband and family, first stumbled upon the dog park in Englewood sometime in 2005 and were thrilled to see the interaction that went on between dogs and owners.
Excited by the prospect of creating a similar project in Salida, Pintaine returned with a determination to make it happen in her hometown.
She began by approaching the city to determine if there was any land available for such a purpose and what type of regulations were in place. Then, with the help of former Salida Recreation director Trish Bews, a big advocate of the concept, Pintaine started a petition drive and submitted them along with letters of intent to city Community Development Director Dara McDonald, who was also receptive to the idea of a canine playground.
In the meantime Pintaine had organized a group off-leash dog walk, “In lieu of a dog park,” consisting of dog owners who had taken her dog-training workshops as well as others who wanted to give their pets more freedom of movement. Out of these walks came the creation of the Salida Dog Club, and a subcommittee was formed with the purpose of making the dog park a reality.
Pintaine and fellow dog lover Debbie Gaj drew up sketches of their visions and visited possible locations such as Marvin Park. They hoped to find at least one acre of land and started fundraising and a public awareness campaign. Chilcott Park was also considered, but issues surrounding parking and the residential aspect of the neighborhood eventually ruled it out. Meanwhile the city voiced support for the idea of a dog park but was reluctant to commit any time or money towards it.
The group then learned from Salida Police officer and dog owner Jason Gallegos about some land owned by the school district off Holman Avenue adjacent to the new soccer fields. It was now time to approach the school board, and Officer Gallegos put together a computer-assisted design presentation for the meeting with a rendering of the proposed park on a small parcel of land next to the parking area.
Issued were raised: as the soccer fields were located on a gallery water system in which groundwater is collected and used for irrigation, some were concerned that dog feces and urine would leach through this system although hydrologists determined this would not be the case. Others were concerned with the proximity of dogs to children, and wanted assurances that the two areas were segregated and secure. The issue of insurance was also raised as the school’s insurance would only cover athletic events.
The city then stepped in and offered to rent the property from the School District and lease it back to the Dog Club for one dollar a year, which would allow the park to be covered under the city’s insurance. The city did want assurances that the dogs would not be getting on the soccer fields.
Out of these concerns came design modifications for the park, including fencing and transition zones using “bullpens”– fenced access points for dogs to enter the park, preventing wayward behavior.
In Aug of 2009, a Memorandum of Understanding was drawn up with the help of City treasurer Jan Schmidt, and signed by the head of the Dog Club, School Superintendent John Rouse, and Salida Mayor Chuck Rose, leading to the park’s groundbreaking later that summer.
Also involved with fundraising and logistics was the Ark Valley Humane Society (AVHS), which donated a portion of the funds from its annual Arf Walk event in 2007 to the park. Other sponsors and donations went through the non-profit AVHS and most of the supplies needed were purchased from Murdoch’s Ranch and Home Supply, which provided fencing and other materials at cost. Officer Gallegos suggested using Colorado Department of Corrections inmates to dig the fence holes and build the fencing as part of their community service obligations. These factors allowed the Club to build the park for under $6,200 in total costs.
On November 29 the Dog Club’s dream was realized with the grand opening of Loyal Duke’s Dog Park, (named after the fabled railroad dog featured on page 8). About 30-40 dogs attending the event on a chilly morning and reportedly voiced their unanimous approval of their new playground.
The park is open from dawn to dusk all year. It is requested that all dogs be up-to-date with vaccinations for the safety of other dogs and their owners. For the sake of safety there is a big dog section and a little dog section, which are separated by fencing. The park is available for dog training and demonstrations as well, such as Frisbee dog demonstrations (see page 31). – by CC Staff
For more information on the Dog Park or the Salida Dog Club call Laura at 719-539-2503.
