Off Leash Dog Park A Draw for Tourists, Locals
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Johanna Jensen, a major Fort Bragg booster and former owner of Cowlick’s Ice Cream, loves dogs. So much so, that she got together with a group of other civic minded folks, such as Doug Hammerstrom and Diane Harris, to build an off-leash dog park in Fort Bragg. Here’s the story Johanna submitted:
MCDOG, Mendocino Coast Dog Owners Group, is pleased to announce the Fort Bragg Dog Park is officially open, and it’s a huge success! The dog park is located on the grounds of the C.V. Starr Community Center, at Maple and S. Lincoln in Fort Bragg. The park is almost an acre of fenced land where well-behaved dogs can romp and play between dawn and dusk each and every day. There are two areas, one for big dogs, and a slightly smaller one for small and shy dogs. Visit on a sunny Saturday afternoon and you’ll find a dozen or more dogs, and their people, enjoying the park.
Admission is free for you and your pooch and no membership is required. However your dog should have a license and you’ll both be expected to follow a few simple rules. Everyone and their dog should be on their best behavior.
The dog park was made possible by generous donations from many individuals, organizations, and businesses. By the time the park is finished, MCDOG will spend almost $15,000. The group collected just over $7000 in cash, and received nearly $10,000 worth of donated materials, labor, and fixtures. This leaves a small reserve for future amenities, unanticipated expenses, or a head-start on the next park!
Mendocino Coast Recreation and Park District offered space on their property and worked with MCDOG to create the park; Rossi Building Materials donated all materials used in the fence; Attwood Construction designed the fence, planted the posts (with help from Baxman Gravel, Cas Smith and Jerry Beaty), then worked with Parlin Forks who supplied the fence building crew.
Doug Hammerstrom and Diane Harris made a bighearted cash donation in honor of their cat and dog. Doug says their dog is enjoying the park, and the cat is enjoying having the dog out of the yard. Pat Dunbar, the Mendocino Coast Humane Society, the Purple Rose Restaurant, North Star Nursery, and Redwood Investments also made big donations. Mandy Liberty, owner of PAWS for Cats and Dogs, donated a ‘waste station’ – which will be emptied each week courtesy of the City of Fort Bragg. Many more people and organizations donated labor and cash for the park fund – too many to mention them all – but look for their names on the thank-you sign at the park.
Access to the park is through a double gate system, which ensures dogs in the park don’t escape the fenced area when the gates are opened. Poop scoop bags and a garbage can are provided to facilitate waste removal, as cleaning up after your dog is required. Benches have been ordered and will arrive soon, as will a pet drinking fountain. Park users join the fun at their own risk, just as they do at any other public park. And, while their dogs play, owners are asked to remain in the park to supervise their canine buddies.
