The Community Gathers For First Dog Park In Takoma Park

County, city and public school system work together to find room for dog park

Takoma Park, Md. – More than 60 happy Huskies, Cocker Spaniels, Labrador Retrievers and more arrived with their owners Sunday morning to celebrate the opening of Tacoma Park’s very first dog park.

It was a big moment for dozens of dogs and their owners who have gone decades without having a place to call their own.

“I am thrilled, said Takoma Park City Manager Suzanna Ludlow. “That is a nice new asset in our park system. It’s a really important feature for our residents and the dogs.”

However, building the park was a difficult process that took nearly 5 years and on several occasions, had project leaders wondering if they were barking up the wrong tree.

Before the dogs could be unleashed, the county, city and public school system had to work together to find room for the park.

“The difficulty is that we are a pretty built up community so finding a location for it is really tough,” said Ludlow. “We couldn’t be as big as some of the dog parks in adjacent areas but clearly this is going to work just fine.”

It ended up taking 1,500 community signatures and about $200,000 to finally get the dog park opened.

The community gathering allowed residents to meet their neighbors, some of them for the very first time.

That kind of neighborhood networking also benefits the Takoma Park Police Department in their efforts to keep things safe.

“They can identify certain people within the community that may or may not belong there,” said Takoma Park Police Department Captain Tyrone Collington. “When people know each other better, they can help one another more in emergency situations.”

The dog park itself is located at the end of Darwin Avenue, next to Takoma Park Middle School.

Special Thanks to Michael Gordon and your4state.com