New Dog Park Opens In Natick, Talks Over Framingham Site Continue

NATICK, MA — It's an important week for dog parks in the area with the opening on Natick's long-awaited Eddie's Park at Middlesex Path, and continuing talks on a dog park in Framingham.

Eddie's Park officially opened on Sept. 4, although some curious dogs had been sneaking into the park at the Middlesex Path lot along Route 135 since it was substantially completed earlier this year. One of the final steps before opening was finalizing the park's rules, which you can see here.

The Natick Conservation Commission oversees Eddie's Park, but funding and organizing for the park was handled by the group Fun Informed Dog Owners of Natick (FIDO). The park was funded in part by a $200,00 grant from the Stanton Foundation and another $50,000 raised by FIDO.

Framingham may also be looking at using a Stanton Foundation grant to open a dog park. The foundation has provided grants to dozens of cities across Massachusetts to design and build dog parks.

On Sept. 3, the Framingham City Council heard an update from city Parks and Recreation officials following a citizen petition for a dog park. The city has not begun the process of picking a site yet, but has confirmed that the city may pursue a grant later this year or in early 2021 with the Stanton Foundation for design work.

In mid-February, a group of 175 people submitted a petition to the city asking for a public hearing to create a commission to study building a dog park. The new effort is a rebirth for the group FramBARK, which was established five years ago to get a dog park opened in the city.

Also nearby, the town of Ashland and the Ashland Dog Park Committee are working to bring a park to the area near the MBTA station along Pleasant Street.