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Date: 3/22/2018
AGAWAM – Snowstorms and colder climates aren’t stopping the Agawam Dog Park from opening its gates to the city’s canine citizens and their owners.
The park is a fenced-off, green space located at 124 Armory St. for dogs and their owners to get a breath of fresh air, interact with others and exercise in a clean, safe environment. The Agawam Dog Owners Group (ADOG) created the park in 2015. Since its inception, the mission of the park – which is run by the ADOG volunteers – is to provide a space that does not endanger people, property and wildlife. The park is open from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and features benches, paved sidewalks and special dog-approved equipment.
While weather can affect the open-hours of the park, ADOG President Sue Drumm told Reminder Publications that it hasn't been an issue this year.
“We’ve been pretty lucky this year, the length of time we’ve had to close due to weather has been minimal,” she said. “But, when we do, patrons are very upset. We understand dogs like to play in the snow, but if there is two feet of snow on the ground no one is going to want to walk out in the middle of the snow to clean up after their dog. Parks and Rec is going to have to clean it all up in the spring.”
The park has only closed a few times this year.
Drumm said the main issues the park deals with is having owners clean up after their dogs and recognizing if their dog is not behaving well with others. She added that the park is not a place to socialize your dog.
“For the most part we’ve dealt with tame dogs, but the park is a public park and we cannot tell someone they can’t come,” Drumm explained. “The best piece of advice we can give to dog owners is that if other dogs aren’t playing nicely, then you have the option of removing your dog from the situation.”
Some of the park rules include:
• Dogs must be leashed when entering or leaving the park (owners must have a leash with them at all times)
• Dogs must be within owners’ view at all times
• Children under the age of 8 are not allowed in the dog area
• Anyone under 16 must be accompanied by an adult
• Owners must immediately clean up any dog waste
• All dogs must wear a collar with their current license
• Maximum of 3 dogs per adult
• Smoking, beverages, human food and dog food are not allowed in the park
• The “Small Dog Park” is limited to dogs weighing 25 pounds or less
• The “Large Dog Park” is open to dogs of all sizes
• No digging allowed, owners must fill any holes dug
• Equipment in the dog park is for dogs only
• Owners use the park at their own risk. The Town of Agawam is not responsible for injury or illness to dogs or humans
• Glass containers, dogs in heat, puppies under four months old, spiked collars, bicycles, skateboards and bare feet are all prohibited
The park is funded through the Agawam Parks and Recreation budget, as well as fundraisers, grants and donations. The park was built using a grant from the Stanton Foundation, with support from the ADOG and Community Preservation Act funds. In 2017, ADOG donated $12,000 to the Town of Agawam to put toward the purchase and installation of lighting in the dog park.
“We’re excited to have a full season with our lights in the park,” said Drumm. “We hope that people enjoy it. It’s not just a park for Agawam residents, it’s open to the public.”
ADOG is currently looking for new members. Now that the park is open, the organization is seeking members to help monitor the park. If interested, Contact ADOGsecretary@gmail.com.