Welcoming Four-Legged Friends
Recommendations for dog-park design to prevent injury and disease
By Katherine Waters
As one of the fastest-growing amenities in municipal parks, dog parks need to feel welcoming and accessible to canines as well as their human counterparts. Here are some recommendations on how to safely offer these facilities:
Mark The Territory
Dog parks attract a variety of dogs in sizes, ages, temperaments, and activity levels. A best practice for off-leash dog parks is to provide a minimum of two, separate, enclosed areas so large and small dogs can run and play independently with other dogs of similar size and activity/ability level. Providing separation helps prevent unnecessary conflict should a larger dog play too rough with a smaller dog. Limiting this risk for pets (and owners!) and easing the minds of park-goers is important.
Go For Good Drainage
It is best to choose a location for a dog park that has good drainage in order to prevent muddy conditions and pooled water after snow, rain, or watering. Diseases such as the intestinal parasite Giardia or the bacterial disease Leptospirosis can be transmitted via water. Adult female mosquitos lay their eggs in stagnant water. Mosquitos are the source of heartworm disease (Dirofilariasis) in dogs.
Find The Right Plants
Choose the right plant materials for a dog park: in areas where ticks are found, avoid plant materials that harbor these insects. Plants and shrubs that attract ticks vary by geographic location. Ticks are a source of many diseases, including Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Lyme Disease, and Anaplasmosis. If any plant materials are included, make sure they are not toxic to dogs. Listings of plants that are toxic can be found on the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) or other websites.
Enlist The Help Of Owners
Posting visible signs in multiple areas (depending on the size of the dog park) encourages owners to be responsible. Signage should remind them of the rules, hours, and the need to clean up after their pets.
Watch The Water Source
To reduce the spread of disease, provide a fresh-water source from which owners can fill their own dog water bowl. Many parks have a communal drinking bowl; however, that can be a source of disease-causing organisms. If there is a communal water bowl, a good practice is to ask users to empty out the water at the end of the day, preventing stagnant water and lessening the likelihood of wild animals coming into the park.
Time To Clean Up
Recommendations for maintenance include:
Budget, plan, and schedule for maintenance. Set a regular schedule for facility cleaning, refuse-can clean out, and replacement of disposable pick-up bags. If park staff members are not available to do adequate regular maintenance, try to enlist help from owners who frequent the park to organize a community clean-up team.
Avoid using herbicides and fertilizers on grassy areas that will be used by the dogs. If this is not possible, close off the park for the recommended period of time after application of chemicals.
Fill in holes that dogs have dug.
Inspect fencing for damage that might let a dog escape or allow wildlife to enter the park. Animals, such as racoons, may carry rabies or other diseases. Prairie dogs have fleas that can cause plague in dogs. Make sure the park fencing is adequate and maintained. Dogs shouldn’t be able to jump over or scoot or dig under it. Look for broken boards or jagged wires that can injure dogs.
Empty trash receptacles regularly. People may deposit food waste that will attract wildlife, such as racoons and rats. Rats can carry Leptospirosis and other diseases. In some parts of the United States, racoons carry rabies, and their feces may contain the intestinal parasite Baylisascaris. Although this rarely infects dogs, it can infect humans.
Encourage Community Participation
Involving the community of dog-park users is important. Forming a club that is involved in designing, planning, and maintaining such facilities can be very beneficial.
Katherine Waters, DVM, MPH, is the Executive Vice President for the American Association of Food Safety and Public Health Veterinarians. Reach her at aafsv.execvp@gmail.com.