Visitations to the park
Hi,
My name is Darlene. I have a few comments that I would like to share with some of you who are also members.
I somehow feel as I share my comments , I won’t be the only one with these same issues.
When I first got my puppy, I wanted to make sure I did all the right things, vet checks, shots and especially socializing her. So when I heard there was to be a dog park added to Indiana, I was estatic. Unfortunately around our area there are absolutely no places that allows dogs off leash. And more often than not, you can’t have a dog present at all. So I spent the majority of her first 2 1/2 years taking her to the two huge parks in Pittsburgh where she could socialize with a lot of other dogs. There is no admission fee at either of the parks, so the cost of getting there with the gas prices being as they were, was a little easier to deal with. My dog always came home exhausted, and as we all know, a tired dog is a good dog. And although it was hard trying to pick days that were neither too hot nor too cold for the long drive down , all in all we both loved it.
Before I even knew of this park we have now, being in the works, I spent a good part of a year taking around petitions to see if we could come up with land and try to get a park started. I”m sure a few of you on here have signed it at one location or the other, and I thank you for that. But we had no luck.
Even though it is small, I still think it is a good idea. It’s nice and it’s clean. And although I probably have been the biggest whiner about getting a dog park, I have been there only two times. Yes, I know what some of you are thinking, well if I wanted it so bad, why am I not there more often. Unfortunately, my time is limited. I work during the day, and I am my moms caregiver, so my evenings are spent at home with her. It doesn’t give me a great deal of free time. Working as a photographer, I have the opportunity to take my dog with me a lot. I would love to just be able to stop in at the park during the course of the day, maybe even two and three times as my job sees fit. But as I said, I have only been there twice because of time, not because I think the cost is high, but because for me, it’s not practical. I paid weekly because I was just not sure how it would be benificial for me. The first week, I was there with 2 dogs, (one owner) and I stayed for about an hour. The rest of the week, it rained.
The next time I paid, I was there with no other dogs around and we got bored within 1/2 hour. So in total, I spent $20.00 for 1 1/2 hours.
This is what I would like, and please people, if you feel the same way, chirp in, that’s the only way we will be able to help Anne figure out what’s good for all of us. I would like to see a different kind of pay system. Perhaps, Ten dollars equals 10 swipes. So it would be my choice of when I chose to visit. I hope this doesn’t make anyone upset, this is just how I feel.
Thanks for listening and hope to see you all soon.
Darlene
November 7th, 2008 08:52
I read your concern and I don’t think that is a good system, or that it works well. I have been out to the park playing with the frisbee and it flew out of the park. Well of course I had to go get it and that needed the pass key, under your system it would cost another dollar amout to get back in just to play during the same visit. Another time it was cold out I needed to go get my gloves it would have taken another swipe then too for the same visit while my dog was in the park. So you see that isn’t a very good method.
November 15th, 2008 17:17
Hi,
Yes, I can see your point too. Maybe somehow, instead of it being $10 for 10 swipes, it could just be $10 for 10 days and you pick the days. That way it’s left up to us instead of the park to decide which days suits us. I don’t know what is going to be a good system, I just know that with the weather coming, it’s going to be rough on all of us to figure out what days are going to be good days. It’s just a suggestion, that’s all.
Darlene
November 22nd, 2008 19:15
Hi again, I couldn’t remember how to get back on here to start another thread. Is anyone going to the party on december 6th 2-4? I hope Anne gets a good turnout. Would love to meet other folks there and have my dog meet their dogs. Hope to see everyone there.
Darlene
December 9th, 2008 18:23
Hi everyone, Just wanted to say thank you to Annie for such a lovely dog party. It was fun. Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday. Thanks again Annie.
Darlene
December 16th, 2008 17:52
Hi again everyone. Hey, does anyone know if there has been any kind of padding or anything put in those big black tunnels that are inside the park? I was just wondering. There wasn’t any when I was there this past fall. When it was still warm out, I was there, and since my dog loves agility, she started running through the one that was down closer to the fence and after about the third time running through, I looked in at her while she was in there and I saw her slipping and sliding all around. When she did come out, she was limping. After about a week, she was still limping, so I took her to the vet and I told him about her sliding in the tube and he said she sprained her shoulder. I wanted to mention it to Annie at the party, and I forgot again, but I just wanted to forewarn everyone that if there is no padding or anything in those tunnels as of yet, be careful that your dog doesn’t fly through and end up getting hurt like mine did. I so wish it was the start of spring instead of winter. I’d love to start going again, but this weather is so nuts. Maybe we’ll still have “Indian Summer” yet…(smile, wishful thinking). Talk to you all again soon…Darlene
March 4th, 2009 14:25
Darlene,
I am sorry to hear about Keela and I am looking into this situation. We are looking for an alternative. Thank you for bring it to attention.
Anne