An off-leash dog park has opened in the Town of LaGrange.
The free facility is located in Overlook Park on Route 55. Turn onto Overlook Road and then take a left into Overlook Park. The leash-free area is behind the footballs fields.
This is the second dog park in Dutchess County. The Town of Fishkill has one on Route 52 in Doug Philips Park. Beginning in June, there will be a fee to use the park.
See tomorrow's Poughkeepsie Journal, or check back here for more information on the Fishkill park.
Councilman Vincent Bettina has proposed establishing a dog park in Castle Point Park. The town board recently passed a resolution that would enable the town planner to study the feasibility of a park there.
“There is a nice fenced in area that wouldn’t require much modification,” Bettina said. “It would be good to have a place where people can go and enjoy being with their pets.”
This would be the second park in Dutchess County, the first being in the Town of Fishkill.
LaGrange town officials are open to the idea of a dog park operating on town land adjoining the highway garage on Stringham Road, but they want to see if there is enough community support first.
The town is willing to fund most of the construction through the recreation fees, but want to $16,000 from residents toward the estimated cost of the fence.
The dog park in Fishkill is paid for completely by the town, though Supervisor Joan Pagones said a fee for non-residents is being considered.
I say, keep 'em coming. Hey, City of Poughkeepsie, are you listening?
Kate and I went there today with my editor Maria and her pooch Roland, seen below under a tree.
For the first few minutes we were the only ones there, but eventually a few more people showed up. With their dogs, of course. Nothing is stranger than someone who comes to a dog park without a dog.
The place is pretty large, and it has a double gate so the furry ones can't escape too easily. It even has an obstacle course for those dogs so inclined.
Kate, being an old gal, was content to sit in the shade most of the time.
You can see from the video how big the place is. Maria said that she had been there on the weekend when it was jammed with dogs. There are plenty of tennis balls to throw, and even a flying disk or two. Water bottles and waste bags are hanging by the entrance. There is a hose in the back near a couple of wading pools.
Kate found it extremely convenient just to lie down next to one of the water bowls — in the shade of course.
And under a bench, too.
I think the park is wonderful, and I wish more communities would provide safe and secure places for dogs to run and play off leash. Are you listening City of Poughkeepsie?
We will definitely go there again. It only took about 20 minutes, but I think we'll go on cooler days.
Many first-time and repeat home buyers in suburban and urban communities want to include a nearby dog park as a day-to-day way to integrate their favored pooch into their next hood.
It also gives tips about what to look for in a dog park and some do's and don'ts (i.e., etiquette) when visiting dog parks.
I'm a great fan of dog parks. I would take Kate to the dog run at the American Museum of Natural History about two blocks from our apartment in Manhattan a couple of times a day when I first got her. Remember, a tired dog is a happy owner.
I wish there were a dog run near where we live in the City of Poughkeepsie. Kate and I would be there in a second.
But dog runs aren't for everyone. I remember going to the run in Riverside Park in Manhattan one Saturday morning, just for a change of pace. It was much smaller than the one near the museum.
Kate was playing with a collie and they were both mouthing each other's necks. The collie's owner broke up the play session a couple of minutes after it started. She said my Kate was showing her teeth and that was bad for her dog. She neglected to mention that her collie was doing the same thing and neither dog was making physical contact with their teeth. In situations like this, it is best to just walk away.
Of course, there was the time that a dog owner — bear in mind, this was in neurotic New York — that got upset with me that Kate intercepted a tossed ball that was meant for her dog. Jeeze, they are dogs. Cut them some slack.
Here's a vid of a civilized dog park in St. Louis.
About Woyton: He's a Poughkeepsie Journal reporter and a dog owner, though not necessarily in that order.
About Kate: She was named after Kate Hepburn. It's the cheekbones. Kate is a (best guess) 14-year-old (even more of a guess) boxer/shepherd mix, who is (absolute certainty!) a sweetheart and the best dog in the whole wide world.
