Go Dog North works to find location for dog park

For people who have dogs and like to unleash them and let them run, the Horse Park has served them well. However, the shared use of the Horse Park is coming to an end.

In a nutshell, the horse group has asked the Community Center Board to ban dogs from the park beginning September 4. “They are citing our lack of progress being made to secure a new permanent park,” said Cathy Quinn, who is a leader in the Go Dog North Shore group. “We have requested that the Board allow us to use the current space at least until November so that we can get through the high-use part of the summer.”

Quinn said Go Dog North (GDN) is asking to develop the space that is identified for a dog park in the 2018 Sawtooth Bluff Master Plan. Initially GDN is asking to develop a one acre fenced space with the ability to add an additional 1.5 acres later. The first one-acre development is located directly west of the current dog park.

Quinn said If GDN was granted approval to develop this space they would embark on a rigorous fundraising campaign immediately.

“The sooner we are granted the approval to raise funds, the sooner we’ll have a new park and the less time we’ll have without an off-leash space to safely exercise and socialize our pets,” said Quinn.

Following up, Quinn said GDN has a proposal that was brought forward to the County Parks & Trails Committee meeting on Monday, May 2, at 5 p.m. and that proposal will also be on the May 12 City Council agenda.

When asked if the dog park would also be someplace the dog pound could be built Quinn responded, “As for the issue of the pound, that’s not really something I’m involved with. I’m certainly open to combining efforts but my sense is that the Sheriff and the Arrowhead Animal Rescue folks aren’t interested in combining our efforts.”