Provo residents and city officials gathered at the Provo Recreation Center on Feb. 13 to discuss the future of dog parks in the city.
The open house was hosted by Provo Parks and Recreation and was in conjunction with the city’s dog park master plan effort.
Residents were invited to stop by, meet city officials and give feedback on what they expect from dog parks in the future, Doug Robins, director of Provo Parks and Recreation, said.
“We are really looking at where these locations would be, what kind of amenities would be desirable and what people’s preferences are as far as how far they would feel comfortable driving,” Robins said.
City Council Member Rachel Whipple said she has noticed two major public concerns with dogs.
“Concerns that have been raised that the council has considered are twofold, really: dog waste and off leash dogs," Whipple said. "This is a problem throughout the city."
Dog parks would help to alleviate such problems, she said. They would give people a place to take their pets and play.
Dogs inside the Provo city limits must remain on leashes while on public property, including parks, according to the Provo City website. Dogs may be off leashes, however, when they are inside designated off-leash areas.
Provo currently has one active off-leash park — Bicentennial Park located in South Provo. This park does not meet the public’s needs, Whipple said.
“It’s completely inadequate,” Whipple said.
She said the park has very little grass, few trees and residents often fail to keep up with their dogs' waste.
"A lot of people wouldn't pick up after their own dogs, so it felt at times — especially in the summer — like you were in a giant kitty litter box,” Whipple said.
Provo Parks and Recreation is working to identify places where they can build new off-leash parks for dogs and their owners, Robins said. These locations would be fenced and allow dogs to interact with one another, he said.
“This gives a dog owner an opportunity to have a dedicated area that's enclosed where they can go and release their dog, take it off (their) leash, and let their dog kind of run and interact with other dogs,” Robins said. “There's a real social element to this that's really fun as well.”
Emily Wade recently moved back to Provo and she said dog parks are not just for the animals.
“I find my people at the dog parks,” Wade said.
Wade said she found out about the public meeting from a sign posted at her local park. Informal, communal spaces like these are community builders, she said.
"You're just there to be with other people, and I think it makes a huge difference in the community-feel of just recognizing people from just those spaces that you frequent together,” Wade said.
Attendees of the open house had the chance to fill out a survey expressing their opinions and feedback to the Parks and Recreation team. Those who were not able to attend could fill out the survey online.
Event attendee Eric Mijares said he was appreciative of the open house and the opportunity to share his opinions with city leaders.
“It makes me feel seen and heard and like we have an avenue to express our opinions and our voices,” Mijares said.
The city will continue to work on its master plan and present concepts and plans in future meetings and open houses, Robins said.