Video: New Birmingham dog park opening Tuesday

I’m sorry to hear AlabamDeb feels that way. Although I can’t disagree that Alabama is “behind” when it comes to domestic animals (spay/neuter, vaccination laws… dog parks), but we are getting there. It’s a learning process, just like learning how to use a dog park, what is acceptable behavior from people AND their animals. There is no doubt that an incidence may happen, but how it’s handled that will be key and what we learn from it. And really a bad dog in the park is no different from a bully on the play ground. It’s up the to parents of dog or child to take responsibilty for their actions. 

Let’s give it a try. I think everyone will find that this is an exciting way to spend time with your pet, a great socialization place for people and pets and a learning experience that will make everyone who experiences it a more aware, more educated, pet owner in the end. 
And if this was such a terrible idea and people and pets were being badly hurt, why then has it been repeated in every city, large and small, across our nation?

This is great news!!! I 100% agree with Malismom and 100% disagree with AlabamDeb. I just relocated from Austin, TX which has over 10 official leash free dog parks, and nearly decided not to come to Birmingham because there were no dog parks. This will help to make the area better for people like me (educated, responsible pet owners). While I can understand Deb’s fears, in my 6 years of nearly daily visitation to dog parks, I have never seen any serious incidents involving irresponsible pet owners or their dogs. A vast majority of people who care enough about their pet to bring it to a dog park, are very responsible and have very well behaved dogs. Keep it up Birmingham. I might not move away as soon as the chance arises if these types of things keep up!

We can’t wait for the dog park to open! When we moved here from Orange County, CA we were shocked that a city this large had no dog parks. In CA we lived within a 30-minute drive of six different dog parks and we loved them. We attended frequently for years and it was always a blast. I did some research, and it turns out that 93 of the 100 most populus U.S. cities have dog parks. My experience is that they are safe and add so much to the lives of dogs (and their people!). (The one time I ever had trouble with a dog was walking my own dog in my CA neighborhood and getting severely mauled by a neighbor’s dog, but I never had a moment’s problem attending dog parks!) Dog parks help create safer canine companions by providing them with a place to socialize and exercise. We support the organization Bark for a Park that has been advocating and fundraising to help establish dog parks. Get more info at www.barkforapark.org!