Canine playground

Dog park fills vital need in the community

Nestled in the valley at Delhi Park in Picton, the Prince Edward Dog Park is a pleasant green space, dotted with trees providing welcome shade in the summer months and enclosed by a sturdy fence that both protects and contains its canine users. Stretching over two and a half acres, it is a place where dogs can run free—or more likely gambol in the shade with their friends during the dog days of summer— while their owners exchange pleasantries or simply sit and enjoy the ambience of the park.

Gay Halpenny spends some quality time with 17-year-old Molly while her dog, Judy, waits patiently by her side.

The dog park was established in 2011, although the effort to create it began in 2006. The County donated the land to the Prince Edward Dog Park Association (PEDPA), and continues to maintain the space in terms of cutting the grass and collecting garbage. However, repairs to the fence or to the park surface is the responsibility of PEDPA. The park has a regular core of about 25 to 30 users who come in almost every day, and sometimes multiple times a day. “It’s not only about the dogs, but it’s also a social gathering place for the people,” says Association member Bastiaan Kalt. “What we’re seeing over the period the park’s been open is an influx of tourists and visitors to the County. They are astonished by the size of the park, they talk about the cleanliness, and about how the people are friendly.”

The owners say their dogs look forward to going to the park, and both dogs and people have established bonds of friendship. Richard Parks is a regular user, bringing his hound dog to get some exercise, but also occasionally bringing another dog or two when their owners are not able to get to the park. He also brings dog treats, which makes him a popular figure. Nicole Reid was a regular at the park until she moved to Oshawa, but she still returns several times a month to visit family and she brings her dogs with her. “It’s their favourite place,” she says. “They’ve grown up here. They love coming back.”

PEDPA is looking to raise some funds to help with the maintenance of the park. Repairs to the fence is a major cost, and there is also the need for water for the dogs, especially in the summer months. Another concern for PEPDA is the accessibility of the park for people with limited mobility. At one time, a parking area was situated close to the park gate, but access to that has since been blocked.

“We’ve had a number of seniors who want to use the park yearround, and they have a real difficult time during the winter months,” says Kalt. “The gate is a fair distance to the parking area, so when the pathway is the least bit slippery, they just can’t make it. They can’t get in.”

Gay Halpenny is a senior with limited mobility, and she brings her German shepherd, Judy, to the park as often as she can. “If I didn’t have this facility, I couldn’t have my dog; my dog is close to a service dog, so life would be much more difficult for me if I did not have her,” she says. “I can’t walk to the gate in the park on my own. I need someone here at the park who can lend me their arm so I can walk. When I do a tour around the park with my dog, I have to have help, and it’s the wonderful people in the park that allows me to be here.”

For more information about the dog park, visit princeedwarddogpark. org.