Dog parks delight people as well as their dogs

Did you know that 36 percent of all households in the U.S. have a dog? And in Lynchburg, while the exact percentage is unknown, it is estimated that there are 15,000 dogs within the city limits. In Lynchburg, open space is quite limited, so there are fewer and fewer areas for owners to exercise their dogs freely.

There’s a relatively easy solution, one that’s been implemented more than 700 times around the country: an off-leash dog park. The National Recreation and Park Association defines a dog park as “a contained public area where dog owners may allow their dogs to run off-leash.”

Dog parks allow dogs and their owners to socialize in a leash-free environment with other dogs and dog owners. There are several benefits to dog parks:

w Dog parks typically revitalize previously underused or misused properties by increasing legitimate park use and displacing illegitimate park use.

w Allowing dogs to socialize over time with other dogs and people in a safe environment can lead to a reduction in aggressive behavior and the frequency of dog attacks.

w Well-exercised dogs tend to exhibit better conduct and enjoy a higher quality of life (just like their human counterparts). When dogs have fewer behavioral problems as a result of adequate exercise and proper socialization, fewer dogs enter local animal shelters, reducing the financial burden on public resources.

w Research shows dogs provide important physical and mental health benefits to their owners. People who exercise their animals regularly increase their own levels of physical fitness, reducing stress levels and living longer and healthier lives.

w Most significantly — dog parks create a social hub — coaxing people from various backgrounds to meet and interact, thereby strengthening a cohesive sense of community.

Research and observation at numerous dog parks indicate that dog bites and dog fights are surprisingly rare. Most patrons bring well-socialized, non-aggressive dogs to the parks. Additionally, most dogs’ behavior is much less aggressive when off-leash than when on leash.

A perceived problem is the fear that dog park users will not pick up after their pets. However, in real-world application, this does not appear to be a problem, even when dog parks tend to be self-policing.

During the past several years, both the Lynchburg Parks & Recreation Department (LPRD) and the Lynchburg Humane Society (LHS) have received numerous requests to create an off-leash dog park within the city of Lynchburg. Due to this interest, a steering committee of city residents, including LPRD staff, a veterinarian and an LHS volunteer (myself), worked together to research comprehensively dog park best practices across the country and to determine a viable location for a dog park in Lynchburg.

The result was a dog park feasibility study, which was presented to City Council in October. The study showed that the general public overwhelmingly supports the dog park, regardless of whether they were dog owners or dog park enthusiasts.

Realizing, however, that the dog park could not and should not compete with other more pressing funding requirements, especially in this economic climate, the steering committee recommended that volunteers (in the form of a dog park advocacy group) would play a substantial role in capital fundraising, site monitoring, maintenance activities and any pet waste removal.

Consequently, City Council approved a dog park to be established in one of the underutilized fields at the Blackwater Creek Athletic Area (BCAA), which is located in midtown. Dog park rules will be clearly posted and enforced at BCAA. The dog park will be monitored by volunteers for the first six months. Eventually, the dog park will be self-policed by patrons, as is the norm with most dog parks across the country.

The steering committee is currently setting up the nonprofit organization to establish the dog park advocacy group and to start raising the approximately $30,000 needed for the first phase of construction, mainly the fence needed so the dog park may begin operations. The dog park will be built with the help of corporate sponsorships and individual donations.

The Lynchburg dog park will be a public-private partnership that can be a win-win for everyone. While proponents hope this dog park will be the first of several, the long term viability of dog parks in Lynchburg rests squarely on how this pilot project is supported and utilized over time.

If you would like to see a dog park in Lynchburg and would like to help out in any way — through your time, talents, or donations of cash or materials — or would simply like to be included on our distribution list, please contact the steering committee at

. We are also looking for volunteers with expertise in legal, fundraising, graphic design, and website development skills, but would welcome volunteers in any capacity.

Rasanayagam is a volunteer board member of the Lynchburg Humane Society.