This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Dog Park: Spring Has Sprung!

Friends of the Shelton Dog Park held their first meeting recently and discussed plans to make the park even better.

It’s great to have friends. Having friends who are willing and able to help when you are in need is even better! Shelton Dog Park is very fortunate to have a great group of friends. They are called (appropriately enough) the Friends of Shelton Dog Park and they held their very first meeting on April 19 at the .

We had quite a crowd at the meeting! Those who attended were all dog-lovers and regular users of the Dog Park. They were very enthusiastic about the park and bursting with great feedback and ideas for improving the park and making it the best possible place for dogs and their humans. 

Ron Herrick, Director of Parks and Rec, and John Pappas, Shelton alderman and chairman of the Parks and Rec Committee, both spoke at the beginning of the meeting. They both expressed their thanks to those present at the meeting. Mr. Pappas said: “A lot of hard work went into planning the park and getting it built. Going forward, the help of volunteers is a great thing and will help to maintain and improve the park.” 

Find out what's happening in Shelton-Derbywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Mr. Herrick presented several upcoming projects with which he would like the group’s input and help. “We have several more benches, as well as two donated fire hydrants, and if you could decide where they should be placed, let me know and we will get it done,” he said. 

After Ron and John left to attend another meeting, the Friends of Shelton Dog Park got down to business. Items discussed included the placement of the benches and hydrants, along with planning for park improvements, such as laying mulch and planting flowers. Plans are in the works for a Porta Potty at the location, as well. Terry Gallagher, Shelton Conservation Officer and Trails Park Committee member, reminded everyone that there is a handicapped accessible trailhead right next to the Dog Park. She stated that it would be nice we could put in a handicap-accessible Porta Potty. This is under consideration.

Find out what's happening in Shelton-Derbywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Several attendees mentioned that some owners seemed to be unaware of proper Dog Park etiquette, allowing their dogs to bark nonstop or harass other dogs. Some did not poop scoop, or monitor their dog’s behavior at all. It was agreed that these issues need to be addressed. A sign will be posted asking park users not to let their dogs bark non-stop and to properly supervise their dogs and monitor their behavior.

Peg Demaine, who is a certified dog trainer and owner of ‘Training for the Polite Pooch’, volunteered to conduct classes at the park to enable humans to better interpret their dog’s body language, as well as provide information to park users about proper dog park etiquette. She stated that, “If owners knew what to look for in their dog’s body language, they would have a better idea if their dog was being aggressive, or was scared or anxious, all signs that he or she is unsuitable for or uncomfortable with being at the park.”

Some action items include:

  • Work Parties – There is a need for volunteers to help with park beautification.  The first work party is scheduled for Saturday, May 7 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Friends who attend will help spread mulch, plant flowers and do a major ‘poop scoop’. If you would like to help with this event, please contact me at 203-922-2643 or via e-mail at arianowl@yahoo.com. If you can’t make this one, but would like to help with future work parties or volunteer efforts, please let us know.
  • Brick Walk – The sale of memorial bricks to raise funds for the Dog Park is going well. There are now enough bricks to build the first path. The plan is to have the path laid by June.
  • Dog supply shed -- The Friends of Shelton Dog Park has approval to place a small shed on the property to store dog park supplies. Our budget, however, doesn't stretch to purchasing the shed, so we are seeking a corporate donor to donate the shed, or the funds to purchase one. The shed is estimated to cost in the region of $400 to $700. In appreciation of the donation, a plaque will be placed on the shed with the donor company's name and our thanks for the donation. 
  • Grand Opening – Plans for the Grand Opening are underway. Once the path is laid and other maintenance issues are addressed, a date will be chosen and the (dog) party will be on. Plans for the Grand Opening include an ice cream truck (with both human and canine ice cream!), home-baked dog biscuits, free dog training demonstrations and more!  I will let you know the date as soon as I know, so you can put the date on your calendar.

Still needed:

  • Scout troop volunteer project – We would like to have a covered community posting board (similar to the ones on the trails) erected at the park. We could post dog park information, as well as information of interest to dog lovers, and keep everyone informed.
  • Web site – We would like to have a simple website for the Friends of Shelton Dog Park. We could post information about the park, as well as solicit volunteers, post details of fund raisers, training events, etc. If you have some web experience and would be willing to build and maintain such a site, please let us know.

Next Meeting:

  • The Friends of Shelton Dog Park will hold their next meeting on Thursday, May 19 at 7:00 p.m. If you would like to get involved and be a ‘Friend’ to the park, give me a call to RSVP to the meeting and we’ll see you there!

As you can see, Shelton is full of great people (and great dogs, of course)!  Join us at the dog park, and meet new ‘Friends’ . . .

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?