The fun-loving, energetic dogs of Magrath, Alta. are in desperate need of a safe place to play in the town, according to a local dog lovers organization.
The Magrath Dog Lovers Society formed after a number of residents recognized the need for a fenced-in dog park.
“My dog will be safe as long as there isn’t a deer, a gopher or a rabbit to distract him,” resident Susan Roberts said. “Being in a very large area and still be secured is very important to dog owners.”
Christine Bly said she tries to make the trip to Lethbridge with her two greyhounds to use their city dog parks as often as she can. However, she sometimes ends up using unconventional methods instead.
“They don’t like to walk, and we can’t run fast enough,” Bly said. “What we have been doing, which truly isn’t so safe, is taking them out to a country road that’s deserted and letting them run beside the truck. It would be nice to have a big fenced-in yard that they can let loose.”
The Town of Magrath has offered up three pieces of land for the proposed dog park. The most appealing one to the group is beside the recycling depot on the south end of town.
However, funding is now an issue – the group has been told that if they want a dog park, they’ll have to pay for it themselves.
“We really want to get settled on a location first and once it’s confirmed that there are no other plans for this location then we can get number crunching,” Heather Crapo, the society’s secretary said.
“It’s definitely going to be a lot. Fencing is not cheap. But again, it’s going to provide that safe environment for people and their dogs.”
Once the park is complete, the group of dog lovers hope to have special areas in the park dedicated to small, and big dogs alike, as well as a spot for owners to socialize and get to know others in the community.