New park is for the dogs

Every dog has its day. Wednesday was Woofie Anderlik’s.

Minutes after Spokane County ceremoniously opened its first off-leash dog park, Woofie trotted through the gates. The Siberian husky watered the grass, sniffed a few butts and ran with an equally eager group of about a dozen canines.

“We are so happy to have a dog park,” said Kerry Masters, who had Woofie and Patty, a springer spaniel, by the leash before the park opened. The two dogs belong to Masters’ parents, Bob and Chris Anderlik.

“This is the coolest thing the county commissioners could have possibly done,” Masters said.

Commissioner Mark Richard, who conducted the ribbon-cutting by using a pair of hedge trimmers to sever a leash, called the park an opportunity to maximize public lands along the Spokane River. The 3 1/2-acre dog park takes up the east end of an old Washington state rest area just north of Interstate 90 on the Idaho state line.

Some time ago, the state abandoned the rest area, which it now leases to Spokane County for a dollar a year. The new tenants renamed the site Gateway Park. Half of it is occupied by public bathrooms and a visitors center. The other half is for the dogs.

Creating the bark park entailed putting up a 6-foot-tall chain-link fence, adding a low-slung drinking fountain for pups and a poop-bag dispenser.

“The dog park has been an idea that’s been around a long time,” said Todd Mielke, county commissioner. “This was the opportunity to make it happen. It cost $20,000 – all from private donations.”

Several Washington communities either have or are considering off-leash dog parks. In the past months, Richland and Kennewick have drawn up plans. Olympia has proposed fencing two parks but also struggled with fencing costs. Several communities in the Seattle area already have dog parks established.

In August, the Associated Press reported roughly 600 parks in existence, nationally, up from 20 known parks in 1995. Some communities have discovered problems with letting groups of dogs legally run off-leash. Nashville, Tenn., had to ban pit bulls from its dog parks because other dogs were attacked. Large dogs killed a smaller dog at an off-leash park in Boulder, Colo. Most communities, however, have embraced the idea.

There are rules posted at Spokane County’s dog park to keep the peace. Among other requirements, dogs must be attended by someone older than 16, must be under owner control even when off-leash, must be vaccinated and cannot be dangerous. No person can bring more than three dogs to the park. Owners must clean up after their dogs.

Spokane County’s Parks Department collaborated on the park with Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service, which has started a volunteer group to improve and supervise the park. Volunteers will also be raising the money needed to open another park.

Gateway Park wasn’t the first site considered for a dog park, said Nancy Hill, SCRAPS director. A few years ago, Hill was eyeing land for a park near the corner of 12th Avenue and Thierman Road, near Edgecliff. That plan faded after the area became part of the newly incorporated Spokane Valley in 2003.

The timing at Gateway Park seemed better, said Hill, who has seen pet interest increase exponentially in her 20 years with SCRAPS. Two decades ago, pet products occupied a single aisle in most grocery stores. Now, animals have their own 50,000-square-foot megamarkets.

In the United States, pet owners spend about $38 billion a year on their animals, reports The American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, and about 43.5 million households own at least one dog.