Richfield Opens Its First Off-Leash Dog Park

Press release from the City of Richfield:

November 6, 2020

Beginning on November 5, the City of Richfield added an in-demand amenity to its recreation offerings. And while this addition won’t benefit a large number of human residents, it will provide a much appreciated resource to another population: area dogs.

After years of planning, the city opened its first off-leash dog park on November 5 at Roosevelt Park, 7644 4th Avenue. The grand open and ribbon-cutting ceremony took place at 4:30 p.m., with the first 25 dogs received pooch-friendly goodie bags.

“This dog park has been a longstanding desire of our community,” stated Mayor Maria Regan Gonzalez. “We’re so excited to see it finally take shape and open to all our enthusiastic dogs and their owners.”

Planning for the dog park was spearheaded by the city’s Recreation Services Department and the Community Service Commission.

Recreation Services Department Director Amy Markle acknowledged the challenge of finding the perfect spot for the park.

“We had to explore a lot of options for this dog park, taking into consideration all the factors needed to make it something we could be proud of: parking, accessibility, lighting, soil quality and space. Roosevelt Park really shined and checked off most of the requirements for building a successful dog park.”

The proposal was first brought to the city’s Community Service Commission and then presented to the City Council for approval.

The park is open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and is fully enclosed. Parking for the dog park can be accessed off of 77th Street East.

Park amenities include grooming stations, fire hydrants, waste stations, picnic tables and separate spaces for both large and small dogs. In addition, residents can purchase a memorial plaque for their pet to be mounted along the fence at the park, as part of the Pet Dedication Program.

All dogs using the park will be required to be licensed with the City of Richfield and will need to display their license tag at all times. Licenses can be purchased at the Richfield Municipal Center during regular business hours.

“Our residents will benefit from having an accessible dog park, centrally located for them to exercise and socialize their dogs,” explained Lisa Rudolph, chair of the Community Service Commission. “Our dogs will benefit too from the opportunity for increased activity, stimulation, and interaction with other dogs and people.”

Markle added, “During the pandemic, it has become evident that dog walking is a big way people recreate and use our parks in Richfield. We’re excited to be able to offer a space for our local dogs to come and run and play, and give residents another way to get outdoors and be active as we move into the winter months.”

More information about the dog park at: www.richfieldmn.gov/dogpark.

This press release was produced by the City of Richfield. The views expressed here are the author’s own.