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Date: 8/2/2022
AMHERST – The Amherst Dog Park opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 27 after five years of planning, designing and building.
Located on 1.5 acres along the southwest side of Old Belchertown Road, the park is divided into two sections for dogs under and over 30 pounds. Each section has a grassy and gravel area with benches both in the open and under a canopy-esque shade structure.
Dog Park Task Force Chair Jim Pistrang was enthralled by his team’s effectiveness and said it was “extremely rewarding” to see the completed park with dogs and people interacting in person. He said the town was very willing and cooperative in building the park, but that it wouldn’t have happened without the work of the task force.
“The new Amherst Dog Park is a great example of a collaboration between private citizens and the town,” Pistrang said. “The community recognized the need for a park, volunteers joined the Dog Park Task Force to design the park, establish the rules, and identify funding sources, and town officials and departments helped bring the park to reality.”
Much of the funding for the park was provided by the Stanton Foundation, which focuses on funding canine health as one of its priorities. Pistrang thanked the foundation along with Community Preservation Act funding, donations, the work of town officials especially Assistant Town Manager Dave Ziomek and Town Engineer Jason Skeels, the Amherst Rotary Club and others for their contributions to completing the park.
Task Force member and Chief Curator of the Eric Carle Museum Ellen Keiter said she was incredibly proud of their work after meeting over 30 times as a group to discuss what she described as all of the large and small considerations like location and dog waste bags. Keiter owns a great Pyrenees-golden retriever mix and a nine-pound miniature dachshund that will now be able to enjoy the park.
“I learned so much,” Keiter said. “As with any large construction project, we ran into problems and delays, but were able to successfully navigate through the challenges, including preserving the 40-acre habitat of the endangered grasshopper sparrow behind the dog park. I credit the hard work of my fellow Task Force members and the great leadership of our chair Jim Pistrang and the dedication of Assistant Town Manager Dave Ziomek.”
Keiter said research supports the public health and safety benefits of community dog parks. She said parks do well to provide off-leash areas for dogs to exercise and socialize safely while simultaneously encouraging people to get time outside and moving around with their dog.
“Most importantly, dog parks are ideal locations for dog people to meet others with common interests,” Keiter said. “The love people share for their dogs reaches beyond economic and social barriers and helps foster a sense of community. The Amherst Dog Park is a great addition to all the wonderful outdoor recreational resources offered by the town, such as the new playground in Kendrick Park, the new playground and spray park at Groff Park, and, of course, 80 miles of walking and hiking trails.”
The park will be open from dawn until dusk and will permit only dogs and humans. Children under 8 years old will not be allowed, and anyone under 14 years old must be accompanied by an adult. The park also has a three dogs per person limitation and they must remain within view and voice control of the owner at all times. Glass, food and breakable containers are prohibited and dogs must wear tags at all times with proof of licensing and vaccination. Prohibited dogs include dogs under four months, female dogs in heat, aggressive dogs and sick dogs. A full list of rules is posted at the park and available online at https://amherstdogpark.org/.
“Having a dog park in Amherst not only adds to Amherst’s many attractions and amenities to residents but provides another place of recreation for people and pets,” said Amherst resident Greer Jarvis. “Recreation is so important and having a designated area where dogs are permitted to roam and mingle is so important for dogs and dog owners.”