PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Dog enthusiasts, volunteers and Parks and Recreation staff gathered at Pittsfield Dog Park on Tuesday afternoon to celebrate its one-year opening.
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Dogs play off leash in the enclosed area.
The dog park allows dogs to exercise and socialize safely. The enclosed area has two sections: one side is for dogs that weigh less than 30 pounds and the other is for large dogs.
The fenced-in area for off-leash dogs includes a grassy mutt disposal, walking path, benches, free garbage bags, and even a dog-sized water fountain.
Over the past year, the park has grown in popularity with many visitors praising it and expressing their joy at having a space where they and their dogs can socialize.
“As a dog owner and myself a dog lover, getting these dogs out, exercising and socializing is very important because socialization skills, just like humans, are very important. He is very it’s important for them to get along, get out, exercise and be healthy.” Becky Manship, Recreation and Special Events Coordinator, said.
“And it also helps the dog owner socialize, network, ask questions and have conversations they might not otherwise have had.”
The park became so popular that the Department of Parks and Recreation decided it would keep the park open in the winter after receiving requests from the public.
During the winter, Friends of the Park volunteers will shovel the trails and continue to maintain the park.
“I’ve always wanted to have a place here in Pittsfield, people can bring a dog and lift them off leash, and so when that happened I was looking forward to volunteering and wanted to be part of this project. ,” Friends of the Dog Park president and volunteer Jeff Demary said.
“And we keep it open all winter now, hopefully that will happen again this winter. But originally they were going to close it in winter. But we had so many people using it all seasons that we we just kept the doors open and people keep using it.”
Volunteers are a crucial part of the park and it wouldn’t be open without them, Manship said.
“We couldn’t have kept this open without the help of our volunteers like Jeff and many others,” Manship said.
“So having volunteers is essential and crucial and very important. And we thank our volunteers very much for all their help, because we can’t do it alone. So the community has definitely rallied in that direction too.”
The dog park is always looking for volunteers to help with maintenance and operations.
“We are entering year two, trying to streamline our dog park maintenance and operations. We want to make sure the community is well aware of what is going on here,” said James McGrath, Parks and Spaces program manager. open. said.
“And certainly with the help of Jeff, as part of the Friends of the Pittsfield Dog Park, we’re trying to involve more people. … who feel an affinity for this place and a desire to give back. So I think that With Jeff’s help and support, and with all the other volunteer supporters, we will continue to see success appear at Pittsfield Dog Park.”
The Department of Parks and Recreation will be able to continue making improvements to the park thanks to the support it receives from the Stanton Foundation, a philanthropic organization in Boston that cares about animal welfare and funds dog parks across the country.
“With the support of the Stanton Foundation, we are eligible for small capital improvement grants for three years after the dog park opens. So starting today, being open a full year, we are eligible for the first coin,” Manship said.
With this grant, the park will receive $8,000 per year for the first three years of operation. This year, the main concern will be the fence work.
Key words: dog park,