Dogs and Humans Alike Enjoy New Leashless Dog Park at Ellison
To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.
Then come back here and refresh the page.
On a day that went to the dogs, some dogs still had their day.
Rain wouldn't keep eight-month-old Spice away, or her person, Lorie Wagner.
"Oh I love it. The dog park is great for socializing,” Lorie said.
From a new dog park, years in the making, at Ellison Park.
"And we met so many friends, huh? She’s got such a lot of friends,” said Lorie.
The county built, fenced-in park lets dogs roam free, off the leash; something you're not supposed to do in county parks.
"That is a continuous issue, of people having unleashed dogs in the parks,” said Larry Staub, Monroe County Parks Director, who was accompanied by Gipper.
Staub says this park, and one like it which opened a few years ago in Greece, give dogs and their owners more room to roam.
"We hope that by adding more and more of these areas that people will want to use them in a safe and responsible way, instead of an irresponsible way where their dogs could be a nuisance or even a hazard,” Staub said.
"We were just up on another section of the park, and two big dogs were off the leash. I'm like, ooh... signs posted everywhere, but still yet they let 'em run,” Lorie said.
The park's not free, but the $24 dollar county dog park registration fee is not only cheaper than a ticket for violating the leash law; Staub says all the money collected through the fee goes to maintain existing parks, and will build new ones at Mendon Ponds and Durand Eastman parks.
"It's not a hidden tax, it's not a gimmick. It goes right into the dog park trust fund,” Staub said.
Dogs still have to be on their best behavior. Even in the county dog park, bad dogs can be banned. For good dogs, and their owners, it's a treat.
"It's beautiful. I'm like very pleased,” Lorie said.