Oh, poop. Greenville closes its dog park

GREENVILLE―The dog park at George V. Vanderbilt Park is gone after town officials say it was becoming full of poop.

The fenced-in area next to the South Barn, where pups could run leash-free, was removed this month due to dog owners’ neglecting to scoop.

“It’s unfortunate that it had to come to this,” said Town Supervisor Paul Macko. “But it’s not a unique situation, there are other communities with dog parks having the same issue.”

At one point, Macko said, town employees found 28 piles of feces within the dog park despite the town suppling disposal baggies and trash cans.

And it’s more than just gross, unsightly and smelly, he added.

“Really and truly, it’s a health hazard,” said Macko.

Numerous bacteria and viruses can be found in dog feces and passed on to other pets and to people. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), pet waste can spread parasites including salmonella, tapeworms, roundworms and hookworms.

Children can be particularly vulnerable to getting sick since they are more likely to play on the ground and put things in their mouths.

According to the American Kennel Club (AKC), dog poop is a dangerous source of contamination because when it is left on the ground, it gets washed away by rain and makes its way into water sources. Some bacteria can linger in soil for weeks or months.

“Even feces from symptom-free dogs can be contaminated. If these pathogens enter the water supply, they put human health at risk,” the AKC notes.

As for Greenville’s dog park, it has been leveled to make room for three pickleball courts.

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

The fencing that enclosed the dog park has been placed in storage and there is a possibility of relocating it to another area in the future.

“Down the road, if we want to try again, we can. I’m not dead set against it,” Macko said.

“But if people really want it back then they are going to have to be responsible pet owners,” he said.