20 responses to “Burlington Regional Dog Park information”

1. 

   jane willan May 26th, 2009 at 09:05

   when do you think the dog park will open?

2. 

   Susan May 26th, 2009 at 11:12

   Jane,

   Our goal is to have the park open by the end of the summer, in time for Petpalooza and the Dog Paddle on Aug. 30. We would love to open sooner, but we need the City of Burlington to put the fence up and they can’t give us a date for that.

   Susan

3. 

   Theresa June 30th, 2009 at 12:06

   Where do we go register our pet and do you know what the cost will be? I would like to do this before they open if at all possible

4. 

   Susan July 1st, 2009 at 10:04

   You can register your pet with the City at City Hall (400 Washington St.). It is $5 annually. The dog park committee is still working on the dog park registration details, but an annual park membership probably won’t be more than $5. We should have park registration information at Pet-Palooza on Aug. 30.

5. 

   jane July 21st, 2009 at 15:20

   What is Pet-Palooza???…..and where can i find out more about thing going on to raise money for this pet park???

6. 

   Susan July 22nd, 2009 at 14:03

   We’re really excited about Pet-Palooza and Dog Paddle. The Pet-Palooza is a pet fair at Dankwardt Park featuring booths of local businesses. We have booths featuring an obedience trainer, pet first-aid demonstrations by the Des Moines County Red Cross, a professional photographer to take pictures of your pet, a pet spa which will do dog tattooing (which is actually just coloring different parts of the dog, such as the tail or ears), and nutrition information. Area vets will be there as well. We have five contests lined up, a fashion show, and a demonstration by the Burlington K-9 unit.

   The Dog Paddle will be held in the Dankwardt pool. Dogs can swim in the pool for $5. This is a very popular event in other cities, and we think it’s going to be a great success here. We will also have human and canine concessions at the pool concession area.

   Pet-Palooza and Dog Paddle will be Aug. 30 from noon-4 p.m. It is a joint effort between the dog park and the Des Moines County Humane Society.

   We should be getting all of the information for the event out in the community next week, so keep an eye out.

   The other fundraiser we have scheduled right now is a golf outing Sept. 18 at Sheaffer Memorial Golf Course in Fort Madison. We will continue working on future fundraisers over the winter and hopefully will have a full spring and summer 2010! If you have any fun fundraising ideas, please don’t hesitate to let us know. We’re always looking for new ideas for both dogs and their owners!

7. 

   Tammy August 4th, 2009 at 13:34

   Have you thought about contacting local “doggie daycares” to have a booth? I frequent the dog park in Bettendorf and there is no annual fee. Last fall they did an event to raise money…it was a costume contest and parade. Vendors were available to share their expertise.

   Where can I find out more about the golf outing?

8. 

   Susan August 4th, 2009 at 14:31

   Tammy,

   The golf outing is Sept. 18 at Sheaffer Memorial Golf Course in Fort Madison. It is a 4-person best shot and costs $50 per person. We have several hole sponsors and contests at various holes. We also plan on selling mulligans. Lunch will be served at 11 a.m. and the outing begins at noon. We have a bunch of prizes for different categories. You can register at Sheaffer, call Amber at 319-753-8130, or print out the form on this blog and send it to the address listed. If you have more specific questions, you can contact Amber or email burlingtondogpark@gmail.com

   Thanks for the doggie daycare idea! I personally have not contacted any, but I will certainly ask the other members of the committee to see if anyone else has.

   We have decided to charge an annual fee to help with maintenance costs, specifically the cost of waste disposal bags, which can run from $800 to $4,000 annually, depending on how much traffic the park gets. We do have more fundraisers in the planning stages, but those funds will go to fencing for the small dog area, a water fountain, two more waste disposal systems, and other amenities like that. Registering to use the park will also help us monitor the park’s usage and make sure the dogs using the park are properly vaccinated for the safety of other dogs and their owners. There are four dog parks in Iowa that are free, but the majority do charge an annual fee. Our fee will be $10 for the year. Tags purchased in 2009 will be good through 2010. I know the Ames dog park charges $40 annually. Washington, Iowa’s Sunset Dog Park, a park of similar size in a smaller community than Burlington, charges $20.

   Susan

9. 

   Linda August 19th, 2009 at 14:53

   How are things going with the park? Will it be ready in time? Aug 30th is almost here.

10. 

    Susan August 20th, 2009 at 07:51

    The park will be open on the 30th! I have not been out there in several weeks, but I have been told by other committee members the gates are up and the grass has been mowed. The parks department does have several more things to install, but none will affect the use of the park. They have a couple of signs, a waste disposal system, and brochure holder to put up yet, but that will be done by Pet-Palooza and the grand opening. We can’t wait to see everyone out there!

11. 

    Doug Ells August 21st, 2009 at 10:17

    Where are all of the trees for shade for the dogs.Is there going to be an intro area before you take your pets in.Everyone seems to be into this pet-palooza how about getting the park done RIGHT and not get the wagon ahead of the horse.It’s suppose to be about the pets first right?And who is cleaning up the waste,the owners?Questions,questions,questions and no answers.
    Ok i’m done complaining now.just a concered citizen.

12. 

    Susan August 21st, 2009 at 10:57

    We actually do have answers for people’s questions. We are not rushing into this project and definitely want a great park for all of the area dogs. We would not be opening the park if we were not prepared and confident it is ready to use. We will be making improvements and upgrades as we go along, but the park is ready to be used and just waiting for the dogs.

    There are currently two dugouts that can be used for shade. There is a group that is donating trees to the park. The trees will be planted this fall, a good time to plant trees. We have a business donating a water fountain, which will be installed as soon as we find a suitable one and get it ordered.

    There is a double-gated entry to the park so the dogs can be taken off leash and prevent them from getting out of the park and running free. That is something on which the dog park committee insisted.

    Like at all dog parks, owners are responsible for cleaning up after their dogs. We will have waste disposal systems throughout the park eventually. When it first opens, we will have one system in the park. It has a waste bag dispenser and a trash can in which to throw the waste. There will be people who will not pick up after their dogs. We ask other owners, if they see someone not picking up after their dog, to politely ask them to clean up the waste. If they see waste laying around, we ask they be responsible park users and grab an extra bag and pick up that waste as well.

    The dog park committee and area residents to whom we have spoken are very excited about finally opening a dog park in Burlington. It is an asset that is very much needed in this area so people can stay in town instead of taking their dogs and their business to Iowa City and Bettendorf and other communities with dog parks.

13. 

    Terry Mertens September 7th, 2009 at 14:05

    Hey,
    We love the dog park! Just a suggestion you may already have on the agenda. I know it would be nice if everyone went to the city to register, however, it may not be convenient for everyone to make it there during their work hours. How about a drop box with envelopes for people to use as a option for paying or for requesting information. I have alot of out of town friends that would love to bring their dogs when they visit and this would be handy and would get a few “freeloaders” to pay for the use of the dog park. You may contact the post office and see if they would be willing to donate a old mail drop for this purpose. I would think this mail drop would have to be pretty secure. I am sure you could find volunteers to paint it at the dog park on any given Sat or Sun. Are there plans for a donation recognition board for the business and individuals that donate every year? If not you may consider contacting Sherwoods or another area sign business to see if they would donate a sign for that purpose and it may help with donations overall as most business’ would love to get some advertising out of their donation. Just a couple of thoughts you may or may not have had already. Nice job on making this happen! The Burlington canine community is the better for it. Keep up the good work!

14. 

    Susan September 7th, 2009 at 22:18

    Thank you for enjoying the park and taking an interest in our canine community.

    We are working on a number of things right now, including a locked box for daily visitors and plaques for recognizing our donors. We plan on placing plaques on each donated item, as well as have a list of donors and an area of paving bricks recognizing individuals and businesses who are supporting the park.

    If people can’t make it to the city to register, they can get tags at Summer Street Animal Clinic, Allgood Animal Hospital, or Horse and Hound Country Store. Membership forms and money can also be sent to Amber VerKuilen at City Hall and the tag will be mailed back. Membership forms are available in the brochure holder at the park.

    Also coming soon — a water fountain for the dogs and a temporary small dog area so we can see if park users will take advantage of that area. We would also like to get an all-weather kiosk so we can post upcoming events, lost and found pets, and anything else relating to the dog community.

    If you would like to stay informed about the upcoming events and what’s coming to the park in the future, we are putting out an e-mail newsletter. Let us know if you are interested and we can add your name to the distribution list.

15. 

    Jon September 9th, 2009 at 16:03

    A small dog area would be nice. I can already tell that the park is becoming an area almost exclusively for big dogs.

16. 

    Susan September 9th, 2009 at 23:09

    Wow, I would have to respectfully disagree with you there, Jon. Since its opening, Maddie and I have been to the dog park almost every day, and not once have we NOT seen and played with small dogs. As a matter of fact, many of Maddie’s new playmates are smaller than she is — she weighs 35 pounds — and all of them have gotten along wonderfully there. Being a first-time dog owner, I am still amazed with how well all the different breeds of dogs get along when they are off leash.

    However, the dog park committee definitely thinks a small dog area is a good idea for those owners who just aren’t comfortable with their little ones mixing with the big guys. That’s why there are plans to add a small dog area. The city parks department is finishing another project right now, but hopes to fence in the area by the end of October.

17. 

    Sarah September 12th, 2009 at 10:13

    Thank you so much for all your hard work on the Dog Park. It is a wonderful space and a wonderful addition to Burlington. Because of everyone’s efforts, dedication and hard work the lives of Burlington’s canines and humans will be improved! Way to go!
    I am definately looking forward to the small dog area and think it will get lots of use.

    One comment however: when I was at the park last weekend, there was a boy about 10 years old who was chasing the dogs (not just his own) and trying to touch all of the dogs. My dog (although never nippy) doesn’t like to be chased by kids and this boy was relentless. Is it rude to ask the boy (or his parents) to not let him touch or chase dogs that are not his? I didn’t do this and did end up leaving the part because of it. I think people should be respectful of others animals and only pet or touch others dogs if they come up to them and act like they want some pets- otherwise- hands off might be a good approach. Especially children need to be reminded to be respectful of the dogs. My dog loved all the friendships she made with the other dogs and was having a good time until this occured.

    Once again, Thank you so much for the wonderful dog community

18. 

    Susan September 12th, 2009 at 11:37

    Sarah, You should definitely feel comfortable either asking this boy to stop chasing the dogs or talking to his parents. We want all of the dogs to have fun and not feel threatened by other dogs or their owners. If you talk to them and it continues to be a problem, please get their name and let us know so we can deal with the issue.

    We’re glad you and your dog are enjoying the park!

19. 

    Steve March 22nd, 2010 at 12:28

    We bring our dogs from New London, IA to this dog park. They love it. However we went there last friday 3/19/10 and there was a sign saying it was “closed due to ground conditions.” Is there anyway we could be updated when it will be open or on any closures to the dog park?

    Thank You!

20. 

    Kim May 1st, 2010 at 17:26

    Just curious as to whether additional lighting will be added to the park or perhaps access to water for the dogs?