Wichita pet owners bark about dog parks

Correction: Danny Ayres' dog is named Willie. The dog's name and his owner's gender were incorrect in a previous version of this story.

Annie, a 7-month-old boxer, was abused as a puppy. Her new owner, Wichita teacher Chris Hagman, can’t seem to get her to respond to him at home.

But once Annie arrives at Meridian Dog Park, she’s free.

“When they get off the leash, they kind of lose all their fears,” said Hagman, who takes Annie and another boxer to Meridian every morning. “They just have a lot of issues at home. There’s something about the dog parks where they see positive human interaction.”

It’s been five years since Wichita opened its first dog park – Chapin in 2009, followed by Murfin in 2011 and Meridian in 2012 – and pet owners are voicing their opinions of what should and shouldn’t be added to the parks.

It’s no secret that the dog parks lack luster. Besides a drinking fountain for the dogs, there are no plants, there’s little seating area for owners and there are no structures for dogs to play on.

Two of Wichita’s dog parks sit atop former landfills – Chapin is off Hydraulic near MacArthur, and Meridian is near West 21st Street and Meridian – said Marty Miller, interim director of Wichita Parks and Recreation. Murfin sits on top of recycled concrete used for paving projects by the city, which should not interfere with tree growth, Miller said.

“They’re more of a challenge than we thought,” Miller said of the dog parks. “ I don’t think we really even knew how much use the dog parks would get.”

Trees on a landfill

Because two of the parks now occupy the space once used for a landfill, the city is restricted on what can be added, such as a tree or concrete structure.

Roots will “puncture the membrane of the landfill,” said Miller, manager of Botanica. “The roots will then get into the methane and die.

“The other thing that happens is that landfills are constantly settling because you have deterioration and decomposition. So dimples occur. We constantly have to fill those low spots.”

The city spends about $20,000 annually on upkeep of the three dog parks, Miller said. About $1,800 goes toward dog waste bags, $4,000 to water and the rest to maintenance, irrigation and vandalism repairs, Miller said.

Evon Russell has visited the Meridian park once with her Weimaraner, and it will probably be the last.

“I think ours are crappy,” she said.

Russell has visited other dog parks in Kansas, including one in Overland Park. It had a natural body of water, an island and lots of trees, she said.

“You had a sense that there was at least some thought given to it,” Russell said, “instead of afterthought.”

Russell said she would like to see trees at the parks.

Even if the city could plant trees, Miller said, dogs urinate on plants, which would kill a young or newly planted tree.

“You about have to have a forest to dissipate whatever a dog does,” Miller said. “It’s like a domino effect. You start having a high concentration of dogs in one area and then the horticulture in the area doesn’t do too well. It’s a challenge.”

Dog lovers in El Dorado took that into consideration eight years ago when they looked for a good location. Kathy Daily, a veterinarian in El Dorado, collected donations to fund the park, which now sits on an 18,000-square-foot lot owned by the city of El Dorado.

“We were looking all over,” said Daily, who chaired the dog park committee. “Part of it is in the flood zone. It was just sitting there. It had some trees and it needed some clearing.”

Benches, trees and a message board in the dog park are memorials to people who loved dogs, Daily said. The fences – which cost about $4,000 – and water fountain also came through donations, she said, but the city pays for the dog waste bags and mows the grass.

“Mostly we get a very positive reaction,” she said. “It’s not as big as some of those (dog parks) in Wichita. We were the first free dog park in this part of Kansas.”

Raising funds for parks

Three years ago, Mike Garvey got his first dog. After visiting Wichita’s dog parks, he recognized they weren’t “anything to write home about,” said Garvey, president of Builders Inc., a Wichita real estate developer.

Since then, he began working with the parks department to raise money for the parks with Fido 5K, a walk or run for both pets and their owners. In its first year, the fundraiser collected approximately $7,500, which was used in the installation of a dog drinking fountain and mister at Meridian Dog Park a few weeks ago.

This summer, donors raised about $5,000, Garvey said.

“We are working with the parks department to come up with a comprehensive landscaping plan with whatever we can put in there, since there are issues,” Garvey said. “Hopefully there will be shade and some water features just to make them beautiful.”

Several individuals and groups have also expressed interest in setting up additional dog parks in a partnership with Garvey and the Fido Foundation.

Those interested in volunteering or donating to the dog parks can contact Stacy Hamm, a spokeswoman for Wichita Parks and Recreation and the Wichita Parks Foundation, a nonprofit that organizes fundraisers for Wichita’s parks. Reach Hamm at shamm@wichita.gov.

Pack animals

With every dog park setting there is a possibility for fighting amongst the canine – and sometimes human – visitors.

Danny Ayres discovered that following a recent trip to Meridian Dog Park with his service dog, Willie.

“Her dog attacked my dog,” Ayres, of Maize, said. “And my dog is supposed to be submissive. So if another dog comes up to him he will basically go submissive and take the attack. This lady just kind of stood there.”

Ayres said owners should know when to separate their dogs when they get too rough, because “dogs will be dogs.”

Miller said “pack animals” are a given at dog parks. He said his Boston Terrier was killed by a group of large dogs when he used to travel to other dog parks around the country.

“Dogs do that,” he said. “Mixing free-running dogs in a fenced area, all different breeds and sizes and temperaments, it’s a lottery. You never know what they’re going to do.”

Shirley Lockhart said education is the key to correcting bad behaviors at dog parks.

“People need to be educated and vigilant and pay attention to what’s going on,” said Lockhart, who takes her golden retriever to Meridian six days a week. “We have some people who just think that the (rules are) silly and are not going to follow (them).”

Lockhart, an obedience and agility trainer, has worked closely with the city to start educational courses for dog owners. She has scheduled four courses this fall in dog park safety and etiquette. Topics will include when to know your dog is ready for a park, what kind of body language to watch for and when to correct, rather than punish, a dog for poor behavior.

Registration begins Aug. 18 online at wichita.gov or contact a recreation center to get registered. More details will be printed in a fall activity guide available at the end of the month.

Happy dogs

Before the Wichita dog parks opened four years ago, dog owners had to keep a leash on their pets.

“I’m grateful for what we have,” Hagman said. “I think it’s a great starting block for dogs.”

Jennifer Matney’s three Labradors – Pepper, Mozzy and Saucy – know exactly where they’re going when they get leashed. The family takes the dogs at least three times a week to Meridian Dog Park. Although she would like to see some shade and other features, Matney said she is happy to have a park in the first place.

“They’re so much happier when they go,” she said. “It’s a growing trend. There’s new people coming every day.”

Although the city has not discussed adding another dog park, Miller said that doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen in the future.

“We do have a lot of park land,” he said, “but I do know that if there is going to be another dog park, there will be more input and more planning before we just put up a fence.”

After all, Miller said, it is for the dogs.

“Could we be more creative?” Miller asked. “Yes. But we’re being restricted. On the other hand, we’re making good use of the land. If you could go out and interview dogs, they would be happy.”

This story was originally published August 4, 2014 at 9:52 PM with the headline "Wichita pet owners bark about dog parks."