New year-round dog park opens in Regina

Dog owners and their four-legged friends in Regina have a new, dedicated area to enjoy in the city.

A year-round, off-leash dog park officially opened its gates on Monday next to Regent Pool in the Coronation Park neighbourhood.

"We could definitely use more dog parks," said Elisabeth Hass.

"Sometimes they can be very crowded, and also just having the option to go somewhere different with different footing, especially in the spring. Some of them can get very muddy."

The Regina dog owner is excited to check out the new park with her two pets this week, she said.

While construction of the new park was completed on July 18, staff found some "inadequacies" during inspection, the city said in an email.

During another inspection on Sept. 15, the park was deemed ready to be opened to residents and their pets.

A dedicated space for small breeds

The new Regent Park Off-Leash Dog Park is the fifth of its kind in the city. The others are Cathy Lauritsen Memorial Off-Leash Dog Park, Ross Industrial Off-Leash Dog Park, Mount Pleasant Sports Park and Horizon Station Off-Leash Dog Park, according to the city's website.

In addition, some of Regina's outdoor boarded rinks turn into seasonal off-leash areas every year between May 1 and Sept. 30.

The new year-round dog park also features a separate area just for small dogs in addition to the space open to all types.

"It's great to have the separate areas," said Hass. "Some small dogs can be nervous around big dogs."

Like Hass, Connie Buchan is very happy to see an additional park opening in the city.

The Regina woman who has two dogs of her own is the head and founder of the Off-Leash Dog Park User Group (OLDPUG) in the city.

"Not every park's going to be great for every human or every dog," she said.

"You can pick ones that work for your dog … and you can meet other people. It's great exercise for you and your dog because you have to walk with your dog the whole time."

Neighbourhood-level dog parks

The new dog park next to Regent Pool will be the second neighbourhood-level dog park in Regina.

The other is a small off-leash area in the Towns neighbourhood that opened in August. It was part of the development of the Horizon Station Park on Regina's east side, according to the city.

"The difference with the neighborhood-level park is they're smaller than the municipal levels, which are the traditional ones we've had," Buchan said. "They're less than a hectare, and they have only a four-foot-high fence, so that is quite a bit of a concern."

Buchan says she is worried that bigger dogs might be able to jump the fence, for example, if chasing a rabbit.

While the fencing is 1.2 metres high throughout most of the new dog park, it is 1.8 metres high along the storm channel and in between the small breed area and the main area in order to prevent the bigger animals from jumping to the other side, according to the city and Buchan.

Overall the Regent Park Off-Leash Dog Park is 0.4 hectares in size, including both the small dogs area and the space for all breeds, the city said in an email.

"That location where the new one is … that was a major lobby situation at City Hall that allowed that to happen," said Buchan.

"The city's original plan was not to put a dog park in there."

The city has already determined A.E. Wilson Park as the next location for a dog park, but an opening date has not been set yet, the city said Monday.