News item

Pop-up dog parks have tails wagging for a second year 

Next week, we will switch the pop-up dog park locations one last time for this summer season. From July 30 to September 6, you can find these temporary ‘pilot’ pop-up dog areas in Fowler, Horner and Hyacinth Parks.

Since beginning this year’s program, most comments we received are from dog owners praising the positive addition to Saanich parks for their pooches. People have expressed how much they appreciate a fenced areas to safely train dogs, dedicated space to allow dogs to play with each other and burn-off energy as well as the social opportunities this provides for both dogs and people.

Mia, a nine-year-old Havanese, is just one of the dogs ecstatic about the current pop-up at Blair Park. Her owner said, “I recently moved to Saanich and Mia is enjoying the new pop-up dog park at the park on Blair and Larchwood. We don't have a fenced yard for her to run around, so we really appreciate being able to come by. Thank you for this great surprise in the summertime.”

We also received some comments about noise as well as concerns about the impact the pop-ups have on available open space, aesthetics and available amenities. With the feedback we receive from the community, we are learning what is working and what could be improved. All feedback received will be considered and incorporated during the development of our People, Pets and Parks Strategy currently underway.

Information pages about the Pop-up Dog Park Pilot Project and the People, Pets and Parks Strategy are located at Saanich.ca/dogs.