Plans are underway to set up a permanent unfenced, off-leash dog park in Sacramento, California, KCRA 3 News reports.
On Dec. 12, the Sacramento City Council approved funding to kick-start a dog park pilot program. This program seeks to facilitate research on the success of setting up an unfenced, off-leash dog park within the city’s William Land Park. Through the pilot program, officials hope to soon decide on the designated area within Land Park for off-leash dogs.
The funding approval came after officials unanimously agreed to close Sacramento’s temporary dog park, Sierra 2 Dog Park. That location was closed after hundreds of reports of owners letting their dogs roam about the area off-leash.
Since its opening, Sierra 2 Park has been a favorite spot for many dog owners who enjoy seeing their dogs play with other canines, according to CBS News Sacramento. For this reason, not all Sacramento residents are happy with the city’s decision to shut it down.
City’s decision to have off-leash dog park at Land Park
Sierra 2 Park’s small size, as well as its close proximity to other park amenities and people’s homes, did not meet the city’s standards of an ideal off-leash dog park.
Officials said people would frequently report complaints of negative encounters with off-leash dogs at Sierra 2 Park. All these concerns proved the location didn’t have what it takes to become Sacramento’s permanent off-leash dog park. As a result, city officials shifted their focus to Land Park.
Undoubtedly, unfenced, off-leash dog parks may have their disadvantages. However, some Sacramento residents don’t mind if one is developed within the spacious William Land Park.
“It would definitely make me consider which part of the park I’m visiting,” one resident told KCRA 3 News. “Luckily, thankfully, William Land Park is huge so if there’s a certain area, we can just kind of avoid that.”
