Morgan Hill - The city's first off-leash dog park opens Saturday with a 10am ceremony at Community Park.
"I'm looking forward to letting my dog rip!" said local architect Charles Weston, who donated designs for the park.
The grassroots Morgan Hill Dog Owners Group (D.O.G.) has raised $27,000 for the project since May 2005, and the Morgan Hill City Council added $20,000 in August. The city has also shown support for the dog park by reserving 1.5 acres of land at the south end of Community Park on Edmundson Avenue. The park will operate from sunrise to sunset.
"It's a great example of public-private partnership," said Mori Struve, Morgan Hill's deputy director of public works.
The park will have a cyclone fence and a walkway around the edges. Separate play areas for large and small dogs are included. Benches, dog poop-collection plastic baggies and water fountains are also featured. Perma-Green Hydroseeding, the contractor hired by the city to renovate Community Park, poured concrete slabs for benches and installed water lines and storm drains. The company donated $4,500 worth of supplies for the work, according to the city.
"I'm blown away. ... I'm ecstatic," said longtime Morgan Hill resident Gloria Zufall, who's been a tireless advocate for D.O.G. "We actually did it. ... We are going to get this sucker open after all our struggles."
Zufall is a retired teacher and has one canine. She is also the chairperson of D.O.G.
Morgan Hill's strict enforcement of leash laws fueled efforts to provide a dog park. But dog experts warn the park could be dangerous for some.
"I think this dog park can offer a much needed safe space for dogs to run and exercise ... but there are some things owners need to know before attending," said Daphne Robert-Hamilton, a certified pet dog trainer and behavior counselor for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in San Francisco.
First, dog parks can be heaven for some dogs and hell for others. It can be a place for dogs to romp and play, or a place where your dog can be traumatized by aggressive animals. Not all dogs, warned Robert-Hamilton, are good candidates for dog parks.
"This is not the place to 'fix' or 'work on' problem behaviors," she said. "Owners need to learn about dog behavior and play ... before exposing their dog to this off-leash experience."
Robert-Hamilton said owners should learn what good play looks like and how to interrupt poor interactions if necessary.
Tony Burchyns covers Morgan Hill for The Times. Reach him at (408) 779-4106 ext. 201 or tburchyns@morganhilltimes.com.
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