Greenville dog owners want the pup park back

GREENVILLE―For many pups and their people around Greenville, it has been a long summer without a trip to the dog park.

The fenced-in area next to the South Barn at George V. Vanderbilt Park was removed back in June after town officials say dog owners were neglecting to clean up after their four-legged companions.

Now a community meeting is scheduled to discuss ways to bring back the dog park.

Connie and Eric Pearson are among the residents planning on attending and they say locals depended on the dog park as a Greenville amenity.

“We have taken our dogs to the dog park literally 360 days a year for two years―minus 5 days for inclement weather,” said Connie Pearson. “There is just not enough time in a day to bring them to Coxsackie or Cairo.”

“A fence gives them an opportunity to run without a leash for a short time each day,” she added.

The goal of the meeting is to talk with town board members and come up with a plan for a new and improved area.

Town Supervisor Paul Macko said he is not opposed to putting in another dog park, but it would need to be at a different location within Vanderbilt Park. The old spot has already been leveled and pickleball courts are being installed.

“A very generous resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, stepped up to pay for the courts,” said Macko.

The reason the town board elected to remove the dog park in the first place was due to an abundance of poop being left behind. At one point, Macko said, town employees found 28 piles of feces inside the fence.

“It’s not a unique situation, there are other communities with dog parks having the same problem,” Macko said. “And really and truly, it’s a health hazard.”

Pearson says one of the problems was that signage with rules was not posted at the actual fenced in area.

“This was a recipe for failure,” she said. “Why not reinstall the dog park in another area with clear expectations, rules and weekly pick up?”

The dog park was originally installed as part of a Girl Scout project. The fencing that was taken down remains in storage, a decision Macko said was made in the event they decide to put it back up in a new location.

“I’m not against it,” Macko said. “But people are going to have to be responsible pet owners if they want it back.”

Community members are invited to attend the meeting, slated for 5:30 p.m. on Monday, September 14 at Pioneer Hall.