The Town of Drumheller is planning to start construction of a new dog park, and in doing so, is exploring a couple options on how to make the facility user-friendly.
CAO Darryl Drohomerski has been researching different options in various communities, and a key feature for a successful park is separating male and female dogs.
“I wasn’t aware this was an issue until we began looking at different communities,” he tells The Mail.
By separating male and female dogs, the parks are more harmonious. The animals tend to have more positive interaction, he has learned.
It also cuts down on “romantic” interactions.
“We have heard from pet owners in the community that have invested great amounts in having purebred animals and also those who are breeders. Unfortunately, with an off-leash dog area, these interactions can be costly to breeders and even led to lawsuits,” he said.
Drohomerski explains the community has a couple of options. One is to make two separate dog parks. This would allow daily access for pet owners, however, it would be more costly to build and maintain. Some have tried parallel parks, however, these are distracting to the animals.
The other option is to alternate days for usage. Male dogs would be on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday, while Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday would be for female usage.
This mode has worked well for some communities. It would also allow the town to build a larger park, reserving Monday for a maintenance day.
“Maintenance days are important, it also allows cat owners to come and use the park,” said Drohomerski.
The town will be posting a short survey at www.dinosaurvalley.com/aprilfoolsday
