At the Peoria Park District’s Planning Committee meeting Tuesday night, they heard a report back on the possibility of establishing a dog park in Peoria. The idea is to fence in approximately five acres of Bradley Park (it was unclear from the picture shown at the meeting exactly what part of Bradley Park is being considered) as a dedicated place where dogs can run free and “socialize.”
Of course, there would be certain restrictions, including, but not limited to: the dogs must be licensed and up to date on their shots, can’t be in heat, can’t be aggressive, and must be well-behaved (e.g., come when called). No explanation was given as to why Bradley Park was chosen for the dog park which will also have an invisible fence for dogs added.
Supporters spoke of how they take their dogs to the dog park in Morton and wished their home town offered the same amenity. They also said that it’s a feature desired by young professionals moving into the area. If you are planning to own dogs, make sure to visit the AmericanListed webpage for more options.
If approved by the full board, the district would have to bid out the job of fencing in the area. The plan is to use chain link fencing.
Peoria has a dog park at the Vicary Bottoms off of Kickapoo Creek Road.
http://www.peoriaparks.org/facilities/vicary_bottoms.html
As to why Bradley Park might be chosen… well there are quite a few folks in the Uplands who have been begging for one for years. I am not sure if the Arbors or Moss-Bradley have been asking or not. I can’t recall if the Uplands Residential Association made a request for a dog area or not. They did successfully ask for the poop bag dispenser.
I am not too keen on the idea overall.
Is Vicary Bottoms in the city or county? Or West Peoria? I’m just not sure of where the boundary lines are in that area.
It’s a great idea. One of the things that I notice when traveling is the “little” amenities that cities offer their residents and this is a great one. Sure better than letting them roam all around town.
Vicary Bottom is technically in the County. It is just north of Farmington Road on west side of Kickapoo Creek. Quite nice and much closer than Morton
I don’t have any problem with the idea of a dog park, but do the proponents (and the Park Board members voting for it) seriously think that someone is going to choose Peoria as their home over some other destination because of a dog park???
That’s even more ridiculous than thinking people will move here just because of a hiking/biking trail.
KoD…. Believe it or not I could see more people looking for a dog park, or dog friendly ordinances, or landlords, than a hiking/biking trail when looking for a place to live. The amount of time effort and money people put into their pet dogs these days is just astounding.
Bradley park is already pretty cluttered. Perhaps they can tear out some of the unused stuff and put the dog park there rather than in any current open space. For example.. there are the horseshoe courts (never seen used), or the baseball diamond(not used for organized play), or shuffleboard courts (I have not seen used in the last couple years. There used to be an elderly shuffle board club that met there).
I fear they are going to put it off of Parkside drive where the current de facto dog park currently is, judging by all the dog crap left there.
Why Bradley Park indeed. The Trustees continue to cannibalize our older parks. The Japanese bridge and Columbus statue are the only remaining historic elements left in Laura Bradley. They took a good portion of the upper park land for the permanent theater building and then cut down hundreds of trees for a Frisbee golf course that is used sporadically for only a couple months out of the year. And now comes this proposal to clear cut an additional 8 acres. I don’t say it is a bad idea to have a dog park, but why not at one of the newer park locations (such as Bielfeldt) or at the Lakeview site. By the way, I believe the proposal was for a 3 acre pen on the lower level near the maintenance buildings, and a 5 acre plot up the hill from there next to the ball diamond that looks across to Shea Stadium.
I’ve been following this issue for a while, as a Peoria resident that is very much a proponent of establishing a dog park in Peoria. From my understanding, the Park District has been looking at possible locations for such a park for several years.
Yes, the Vicary Bottoms site is great, but it’s not (and can’t be) fenced due to it’s location. Why another park? Not all dog owners are comfortable letting their dogs run free in an un-enclosed area. I’m not. Why Bradley Park? It’s centrally located, easy to access, and has ample room for such a feature. I think it’s the duty of the park district to adapt to changing recreational needs.
It was interesting to see the reaction to the cancellation of the annual Pooch Plunge at Lakeview Park. This event has been well attended since it’s inception and there were a lot of people that were upset at it’s cancellation at the hands of state health dept. Interest in this event demonstrates that Peorians are interested in including their pets in recreational opportunites in the area.
And, in response to an earlier poster, every time I’ve been at Bradley Park, the frisbee golf feature is used more often than just about anything else in the park. The Bradley students really seem to enjoy it.
Dogs are not people, they don’t make friends and play nice. They always revert to pack behavior and try to establish a pecking order, they will be dominant or submissive and nothing else. Dog parks are a good place for dog fights, dogs that interact frequently know which are dominant and act accordingly, bring a few dominant dogs together and watch the fun start. We love to be anthropomorphic with our pets, but dogs need to and should spend time with their owners and become socialized around people. The five acres discussed is most likely the area currently closed to car traffic, the iron bridge at lower bradley park at one end and the closed road near cornstalk at the top, there is also a never used baseball diamond at the upper area visible from I74.
People love their dogs. Sounds like a pretty good idea. As for the location, Bradley Park holds a lot of potential. They could strategically locate the dog “zone” to double as a hazard for the Frisbee golf course.
Dog parks are an easy, low-cost way for the city to improve the “quality of life” for dog owners. My dog loves to make friends at the dog parks and, let’s be honest, dog parks are a social hangout for people, too. Coming from an area that had several dog parks, I know residents with dogs are very appreciative of them.
Also, the existence of Dog parks won’t convince someone to move to *Peoria*, per se, but they can be one factor in determining which *part* of Peoria someone moves to.
if I could only have a house within walking distance of both adog park and the trail I’d be in heaven!
Designated areas for people to walk dogs is great, an area of 5 acres fenced and where dogs will be off leash is a patently bad idea. These areas tend to appeal to people that barely have control of their animals when they are on a leash. While I am sure there will be a few folks with well trained and socialized animals there will be a great deal of people with unruly poorly trained dogs running around a large area. You see these people trying to walk dogs all the time, the dog is out front pulling the owner down the street lunging and barking at anything that moves. I notice that even in the area of Bradley park where there is a dispenser for poop bags there are still piles of fecal matter within feet of the filled dispenser so I hope there will be a full time park staffer present for fecal removal as well as to aid in doggy dispute break-ups. I have been to a few dog parks in other cities and I have to say I was less than impressed. This is throwing a bone to trustee Cummings as he has brought up the subject of dog parks at PPD meetings for years.
We occasionally take our dog to the Vicary dog park. It’s unfenced and near Kickapoo Creek. There are also signs saying something about it being a “tick area” which really freaks me out. (I know, ticks can be anywhere, but really, the sign announcing it makes me think they are prevalent in that area).
I think a fenced in dog park would be great. Especially if they can divide it into 2 parts, a small dog area and a medium/large dog area. We used to live near a dog park and it was set up like that and worked well.
As far as Bradley park goes, it does seem to have quite a few amenities already (cornstock, tennis courts, pagoda, etc) so I can’t imagine where a dog park would fit there.
I am kind of with Raoul on this… I would say the number of well trained, well behaved, dogs is a decisive minority. Most Americans don’t have a clue how to properly train or manage a dog. The idea of a dog park in Bradley Park…attracting more of these ill trained pets does not appeal. My long walks in the park will be shortened, wherever they decide to place it. : (
Seriously.. the whole needing a fence tells me right away they expect poorly trained dogs. A well trained dog does not need a fence ever.
As a former kennel owner I would love to see a dog park anywhere in this city. You mention dogs lunging at people as they are walked. That is poor training as far as the owner is concerned. But more important if there is a dog park then the neighborhood pets will not be defecating in your front yard. Tearing up your flower beds. Tinkling on every thing to mark their territory as they are walked along the city streets. Also in this weather it would be better for the animals than to have stupid people walking their dogs in the middle of the day in the heat on hot pavement. A dog sweats through its mouth and when their tongue is hanging out and they are breathing hard they are actually inhaling the hot humid air and par boiling their insides. Ask any vet if I’m not telling the truth. A dog can actually die of this kind of thing. It cooks their liver, kidneys, heart, etc., and they die. Also a dog will not stop to rest as long as their human is moving, jogging, bicycling or whatever. They will go until they drop. Really ticks me off when I see this. Let the human take off their shoes and go for this walk on a hot day on the pavement and the asphalt and see how long they last. And did you notice the human has a bottle of water with them, but what about the dog? Okay enough of my soap box on animal care.
Hurrah for a dog park in Bradley Park!! Running and playing keep dogs fit and healthy. Walking on a leash does not provide a simialar level of benefits. Well-behaved dogs love to socialize and play with other dogs. Why not Bradley Park? Uplands folks would love it!
What the hell is going on here? Who is going to manage this-Michael Vick? Just another way for dog-owners to join absent parents in getting someone else to manage their affairs. You have to think of the thousands of tax-payers who do not own dogs, do not care about a dog park, do not want park land to be obfiscated for the use of a very few. Bow wow!!!
Roman II, does that mean that taxpayers without children should complain if park land is taken for playgrounds, ball fields, etc? I think that the park district’s consideration of this addition reflects it’s ability to see that there are varied needs on the part of their constituancy. Something for everyone, you know?
Leave it us lazy fat Americans to supplant a mutually beneficial and healthy activity such as talking your dog for a long brisk walk with sitting on your butt watching your dog run around a fenced area filled with other dogs. While I agree that letting a dog run is good for the dog, a well trained socialized animal should be able to do this without a designated area. This is why these areas appeal mainly to people with untrained animals, they cannot let their dogs off leash because they do not mind and will not head a come command. These are the types of animals you do not want running in a pen with other dogs as they are not trained well to begin with. This will prove interesting. I am curious as to how this will play out.
JC, your’e right. But, I don’t see kids at playgrounds literally tearing each other up as we would see dogs do in a pond such as this. The Park district would be opening itself up to lawsuits-oh well, those advertising lawyers need the business anyway.
Opponents of the IDEA of a dog park ought to check their reactions a little. Dog parks have been open and successful for quite a while now. Best you folks just realize the validity of a dog park now, and move your focus to WHERE it should go.
I am surprised CJ hasn’t suggested those empty lots currently owned by Dist. 150 near Glen Oak Park.
RomanII, from my point of view, it’s the kids that are coming into the park and tearing things apart. The rate and scope of vandalism in Peoria’s parks is amazing. As fast as things can be cleaned and fixed, they’re torn apart/ruined/tagged/etc again. Also, I’d imagine that there’s much more liability with pools, playgrounds, and skateboard parks then there would ever be with a dog park. A bit of research shows that most park districts in Chicago have well-functioning dog parks established and running smoothly. And, they seem to be very popular!
There is massive liability in a dog park, it is all squarely on the shoulders of the dog owners. There are dogparks that work and there are dogparks that have not. I would never put my dog in an enclosed area off leash with a bunch of other dogs, my choice. As long as they keep it away from areas where children play and very close to one of the parking lots they can give it a try. I hope that they will have an employee present to police it when it is open ( people will do a bad job of policing themselves and their pets ) I think that you would find the local animal control office will be less than receptive to this idea as they will have to deal with the bite reports ( there are always plenty from even “good” dog parks” ) the animal control people work for the city so the parks are really not within their jurisdiction so the park folks may need to work that little thing out as well.
Raoul — During the meeting one of the board members (it might have been Cummings) asked the pro-dog-park presenters if they had talked to PAWS, thinking they might be interested in partnering on this project. Much to his surprise, the presenters reported that PAWS is not in favor of a dog park. The pro-dog-park presenters however then proceeded to rationalize that people who work at PAWS see a lot of abuse cases and that’s why they have a negative view.
I think that the reason they would be against it would be that all problems would most likely end up at their door even though they have no jurisdiction on park property. I am not sure how abuse cases would come into play.
A good link with views from both sides of the fence so to speak
http://allforone.websitewizard.com/dogparks.html
“While I agree that letting a dog run is good for the dog, a well trained socialized animal should be able to do this without a designated area.”
Except that it’s not actually legal to let your dog run off leash except in your own yard or in “designated areas” like dog parks.
What makes it illegal to have a dog off leash in the park?
The law. From the city website:
The laws below apply to all City and County residents unless otherwise stated. For a complete copy of the animal control ordinances for your area, call PAWS at 494-8911.
* All dogs and cats must remain on their owner’s property at all times unless restrained by a leash or cage.
—
Peoria’s pretty serious about its leash law. I haven’t lived here that long, and I don’t have a dog, and even I knew that.
Raoul: Sec. 5-19(a) of the County’s municipal code:
And the definition of “restraint” is:
Note that this applies not only to dogs, but any “owned animal,” which would include cats. I have yet to see any cat on a leash in the city. But there certainly are no shortage of them at large.
Our cats have leashes! We occasionally let them sunbathe on the front steps. I wouldn’t dare let them out unleashed … they’re not equipped to survive the wild. 🙂
After speaking to the animal control people last week I was surprised to learn that they had no jurisdiction within the Peoria Park District property and only occasionally respond there as a favor to the park district. So this is why I was wondering if in fact the city and county ordinances apply within the park district. If they do then would they not need to both be amended to allow for a dog park? Have they already been amended for the existance of the current off leash area? Can the park district simply by posting a sign in an area nullify an existing ordinance or do the ordinances simply do not apply on their property?