The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
A PLACE OF THEIR OWN
New dog park opening Aug. 10 at Toro fields
TORRINGTON — After years of planning and asking, families are getting a dog park of their own.
The Torrington Dog Park is opening Aug. 10 at the John Toro Sports Complex on Perkins Street. A ribbon-cutting will be held at 11 a.m., welcoming pets and their families to the new facility.
“There has been interest in a dog park for a number of years now,” said Parks & Recreation Director Brett Simmons. “Various groups have expressed an interest, and we’ve looked at different locations around town. When the Naugatuck River Greenway (near Toro fields) was put in, we thought it was a good idea to put it there. Dogs and dog owners visit there regularly. It’s a good fit, and a good location.”
Simmons credited Mayor Elinor Carbone with the establishment of the park.
“Mayor Carbone met with our recreation commission, and the public was invited,” he said. “We wanted to push forward with it as soon as possible. It’s something the mayor is very excited about.”
Carbone said she’s been looking for a dog park site since she was elected in 2013.
“Brett Simmons and I would frequently venture off to scout out potential sites, visiting city-owned parcels and weighing the pros and cons of each,” she said. “Most of the sites would have been great, but presented challenges in the ability of the public to access the property. Sites included Susan Charlene Besse, the Machuga Property, and city-owned property on University Drive.
“When the access road/Naugatuck River Greenway project was completed at Toro Field, this parcel of land between the trail and the
river stood out as a perfect location,” the mayor said. “Our engineering department’s GIS expert, David Sherf, mapped it out for us and it made sense that we could bring this long-awaited amenity to our residents and their pets.”
Several residents already have volunteered to help manage the park and add amenities.
“We’re meeting with an Eagle Scout to discuss building a shade structure, because one of the downfalls is that the park is in full sun,” Simmons said. “We’ll need something to protect dogs and owners from the sun. It gets pretty hot over there.”
“We have received so much interest in further development of amenities for the park, including the construction of a pavilion to provide shade, to canine
agility equipment and benches,” Carbone said. “Its proximity to the trail and the river offers a few additional exercise opportunities for our four-legged friends. A short walk on the trail, followed by playful socialization in the park, and a chance to cool off at the river’s edge should make for a happy, healthy dog.”
So far, the park’s fencing is complete, as well as a waste bag station and signs. “We worked with the animal control department on the signs, and that’s all in place now,” the recreation director said.
The park is just under an acre, and has a “small dog” area, with the majority of the space for medium and large dogs.
“Smaller dogs are allowed in the medium to large dog area at the owner’s discretion,” Simmons said.
Amenities to be added could include agility equipment. Simmons said. “We’re
looking into that,” he said. “That could be another Eagle Scout project. Or, we could put up a sign asking for donations to add other amenities to the park in the future, or raising money to maintain it.
“Our goal right now is to get things up and running,” he said.
Carbone called the park a good start. ““While this park is a great beginning, I can easily see where a second park elsewhere in town would be beneficial to our residents; so we continue to eyeball sites for another park,” she said.
Dogs are allowed in Torrington’s parks, as long as they are on a leash. Owners are responsible for cleaning up after their pets. At a dog park, pets are allowed to run free.
For information, contact Simmons at 860-489-2275 or visit torringtonct.org and click on the Torrington Recreation Department link.