Posted: April 23, 2008, 5 a.m. EST
The town of Bedford, N.Y., plans to celebrate the grand opening of its years-in-the-making dog park next month at Beaver Dam Park in Bedford Hills. After a “soft” fall opening to work out the kinks, Bedford officials want to formally recognize the Bedford Dog Owners Group for achieving its goal of opening the “Canine Commons” dog park, said Bill Heidepriem, director of recreation and parks.
While the final project is a fraction of the 17-acre dog park that the group initially envisioned three years ago, Canine Commons is a 1 1/2-acre dog park that the community can be proud of, Heidepriem said. The layout includes three fenced areas – one for dogs larger than 30 pounds, a second for smaller dogs, and a third for agility training.
“It was a very nice effort between a real dedicated group of dog owners who had a vision for the dog park and worked hard to raise money and gain support,” he said. The town provided the land for the park, and the Bedford DOG helped raise funds to pay for its construction.
Ray Teetsel, the town’s dog control officer, patrols the new park every day and said it has been fairly busy so far. The park is open to Bedford residents and their guests.
Dogs using the park must be licensed. In addition, park guests are required to purchase an annual permit for $20, Teetsel said. The fee drops to $15 for a second dog and $10 for the third or more. Guests can purchase a $5 day pass.
A few final touches are planned, including more benches and landscaping, Teetsel said. The park’s grand opening is Tuesday, May 6. For information, visit www.bedfordny.info