Posted 3:52 pm Friday, January 04, 2013
Send to Kindle
Henderson City Council considers dog park
A proposed dog park will be up for discussion and possible action during next week's Henderson City Council meeting.
The idea came from residents James and Denise Nix, who came to the city about a month ago.
The Nixes, who have a mixed-breed terrier and a cane corso, are asking the city to put a dog park in Fair Park, complete with a fenced-in area for large dogs and a separate fenced-in area for smaller dogs. They would also like to see access to water for the canines, said Mrs. Nix, who referenced an area for water at Longview's dog park.
She said the main goal is for dogs to have a place to socialize and exercise without having to go at the owner's pace.
“A well-exercised dog is a much calmer dog,” she said. “Since we have Fair Park, and a lot of dog owners are using it, I thought … 'Why would the city not fence in an area for larger dogs and one for smaller dogs and maybe people will socialize as well?'”
The idea came from residents James and Denise Nix, who came to the city about a month ago.
The Nixes, who have a mixed-breed terrier and a cane corso, are asking the city to put a dog park in Fair Park, complete with a fenced-in area for large dogs and a separate fenced-in area for smaller dogs. They would also like to see access to water for the canines, said Mrs. Nix, who referenced an area for water at Longview's dog park.
She said the main goal is for dogs to have a place to socialize and exercise without having to go at the owner's pace.
“A well-exercised dog is a much calmer dog,” she said. “Since we have Fair Park, and a lot of dog owners are using it, I thought … 'Why would the city not fence in an area for larger dogs and one for smaller dogs and maybe people will socialize as well?'”
She said she and her husband are not asking for somewhere big but rather “somewhere for them to play and socialize and just get exhausted.”
City Manager Mike Barrow said the item was previously tabled by the city council but will be taken up again Tuesday.
“They wanted me to do research and find out how (other dog parks) are going and maybe during that time I would hear or council would hear from other people who were interested,” he said.
Barrow said a dog park is not part of the city's park plan, which was put together about six years ago, and he should know by the end of the week what such a park would cost. He said it's not so much the initial cost that is significant but rather the cost of upkeep and maintenance.
City Manager Mike Barrow said the item was previously tabled by the city council but will be taken up again Tuesday.
“They wanted me to do research and find out how (other dog parks) are going and maybe during that time I would hear or council would hear from other people who were interested,” he said.
Barrow said a dog park is not part of the city's park plan, which was put together about six years ago, and he should know by the end of the week what such a park would cost. He said it's not so much the initial cost that is significant but rather the cost of upkeep and maintenance.
