What do Successful Dog Parks Look Like?

There are hundreds of dog parks in the United States presently, so the idea to bring a dog park to Bangor is not unique. Several members of BARK, along with the Friends of Belfast Parks, have visited a number of these parks and have enjoyed a wide range of experiences. Please visit the links of other dog parks in the U.S. This is a selection of the "Top 10 Dog Parks" from last year's contest from "Dog Fancy" magazine.
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For a look at a dog park closest to home, please visit the Belfast Dog Park site.

The play area is just over an acre in size for the large dogs, with a separate area and entrance set aside for smaller dogs. The play area itself is grassy and mostly flat, although a slight rise does leave a corner of the play yard blind to those who may lose track of their dog’s whereabouts. There are benches for people to sit and a gazebo provides shelter from the summer sun. A motion-sensitive “water fountain” provides drinking water--and a source of curiosity--for the dogs, and there is also a water hose available for multiple uses in the well housing.

If you are visiting, or native to, southern Maine, Portland also has two dog parks.

About an acre in size and enclosed by chain link fence, Portland’s Valley Street Dog Park is located in the West End close to the downtown commercial district, adjacent to a heavily traveled city street. It has trees, benches, gravel, and grass (though much of it has worn away). At some point the area had been mulched, but maintenance has evidently been lax. Even though the area seems a bit shabby, it is surprisingly clean throughout. Amenities include a water spigot, metal water dishes, and trashcans, as well as bag dispensers.

Portland’s other fenced dog park, Quarry Run, is located about five miles from downtown on the site of an old landfill. The six-acre area has rolling hills, winding pathways, and a lot of foliage. There is a shelter and some benches, but there was a curious lack of trashcans during the visit. Inside the park is a smaller, fenced area, about 50’ X 50’, evidently for isolating smaller dogs or unsocialized dogs, but it lacked any signage explaining what it was for. An unfavorable feature is that, due to the topography, dogs can easily be out of their owner’s sight.