The city now has a third off-leash dog park.
An acre of land on the Westfort play field has been fenced off for south side dogs to play, and that park had its grand opening Friday morning.
While there were city officials on hand, one thing was missing at the park.
“We’re just waiting for the dogs,” city parks manager Paul Fayrick said on a chilly morning that saw just one dog having free reign of the new space.
The $25,000 park is wide open with no separation for big and small dogs.
Fyrick said while the park near Port Arthur stadium has that separation, the city and its off-leash advisory committee wanted the whole park in Westfort open for all dogs.
“It’s really a question of the owners deciding whether or not it’s appropriate to bring their small dog or their big dog into the mix,” Fayrick said.
“We really do rely on people to follow the rules.”
The city has plans for one more dog park to open in the coming years, preferably in Current River.
The strategy is to spread the parks out across the city so every dog owner has one in close proximity.
“It’s something that was long overdue and we’re glad to be able to help out,” Fayrick said.
