[Durham INC] Downtown Durham Dog Park opens

[Ken Gasch]

Downtown Durham Dog Park opens
09.14.11 - 06:15 pm
[image: The Herald-Sun | Bernard Thomas<br> Caera is playing during the dog
festivities at the new Downtown Durham Dog Park, Wednesday, Sept. 14 at the
corner of Elliott and Roxboro streets.]
By Kelly Poe

news at heraldsun.com

DURHAM -- For years, when Natalie Spring would look out her window, she saw
a lot that was overgrown with vines and weeds a foot tall. Litter, and the
rats it brought, were not an uncommon sight.

She’s moved within her neighborhood, but now when Spring passes the empty
lot, she sees trimmed grass and friendly, furry faces.

The Downtown Durham Dog Park, near the Cleveland Holloway neighborhood, held
a ribbon-cutting Wednesday. The 10,000-square-foot park is the city’s third
dog park and has been open just under a month.

“There aren’t many places for dogs to run around downtown,” Prince said at
the event, although she does not have a dog. Prince was on the committee
that brought the dog park to actuality.

Dogs must be registered to play in the park to ensure that they have proper
vaccinations. There are separate areas for small and large dogs. The dog
parks have more than 1,200 registered members.

The lot is on the corner of Elliot and Roxboro streets, and although they
belong to the city had been on the market for years. Fairly small and on
uneven land, it’s not the most buildable land.

But the dog park isn’t permanent yet. It’s use will be evaluated once it’s
open longer, but it has the potential to become permanent.

Because the lot was already owned by the city, start-up costs were fairly
low. Durham Parks and Recreation put in the fences and infrastructure, but
the park will be maintained by neighborhood residents.

The park will hold weekly meet-up events Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. for people
to come and bring their dogs.

“A tired dog is a happy dog,” said Lorita Dudas, Durham Parks and Recreation
canine specialist. “Just taking them out on leash walks doesn’t give them
the exercise they need.”

Dudas watched her dog Boomer run around the park and socialize. She was on
the committee for the dog park, and was on the same committee that brought
the first dog park to Durham in 2003.

Neighborhood resident Jan Martell brought her beagle-dachshund mix, Ellis,
to the ribbon-cutting because she likes her dog to socialize. She had gone
to the city’s other parks in the past, but said she’s happy to have one so
convenient for her now.

“Ellis is pretty sociable, he always wants to come around the big dogs,”
Martell said.

© heraldsun.com 2011
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