Source: Boca Raton News
So far, animals behaving themselves at Boca facility by Darrell Hofheinz
April, 5th, 2001
Living up to officials’ predictions, the animals enjoying Boca Raton’s new dog park have been, well, obedient.
No serious problems have been reported since the facility opened Saturday morning, according to the Parks and Recreation department.
“We are getting nothing but positive comments-and a lot of calls from people asking for directions,” said Cherie Levinson, management assistant in the Parks and Recreation department.
Located in the T-Rex Technology Center off Yamato Road between Congress Avenue and Military Trail, the park offers dog owners the chance to let their animals run and play off leash. There are separate fenced-in areas for large and small dogs, along with water fountains, shade trees and waste-bag dispensers.
There have been no reported dog fights at the facility, nor has anyone been bitten, Levinson said-and that’s exactly what officials had hoped for.
“People are amazed that the dogs all get along once they’re off leash,” said Levinson.
The reason for that may be that most owners who bring their dogs to the park know to do so only if the animals are used to being around other dogs. Animal behavior experts say dogs also are not typically territorial on neutral turf-only on territory they consider theirs, such as their home.
In fact, the minor incidents that have occurred appear to be more the result of two-legged animals than four, says Lisa Holland, who for years championed the idea of a dog park as the co-owner of Fins Furs and Feathers pet store in Boca Raton. “It’s all about education,” Holland says.’ It’s amazing to me that people who are dog owners sometimes don’t get it.”
But Holland said the dog owners who have already been using the park have become willing teachers for newcomers-especially where animal waste is concerned.
‘One woman and I were talking, and she asked me, “Who cleans up? And I said, ‘You do,'” said Holland.
Levinson said that people should also remember that although some children have been brought up with dogs, many of the dogs may not have been brought up with children,” she said. ʻThe park is not necessarily a place for children”
The city leases the land for $1 a year from the T-Rex center. Plans are in the works for a permanent 5-acre facility in the same area.
The $63,000 park is only the second one of its kind in Palm Beach County. Last summer, the county opened one of its own at Lake Ida Park on Lake Ida Road near Delray Beach.
If you go
Boca Raton’s new dog park lies in the T-Rex Technology at Boca Raton corporate park on Northwest Broken Sound Boulevard on the south side of Yamato Road, midway between Military Trail and Congress Avenue. Hours are 9am-dusk daily except Wednesday, when it is open noon-dusk. For information, call 393-7810.