Oneonta, NY Officials Respond To Residents Who Want Dog Park To Stay Open

Ever since the new Oneonta dog park opened in Neahwa Park this fall, dog owners and their furry friends have been enjoying the opportunity for fun and socialization. Originally, Gary Herzig, Oneonta's mayor, said that the plan for the winter was to close the dog park to protect it from too much wear and tear. Many dog owners were not excited about that idea and contacted the city to request that the park remain open in the winter.

After careful consideration, city officials have decided on a compromise. For anyone who has visited the dog park recently, you probably noticed that of the two dog areas: one for small dogs and the other for larger dogs, the large-dog area has endured some poor drainage issues and became muddy in spots. To address this, the large dog pen will be closed for the winter and the small dog area will remain open to accommodate ALL dogs. City officials feel that the small dog area is large enough for all dogs during the cold weather season.

This is good news for our fur babies! I know that my dog Tovi has really enjoyed the park so far and loves to go there, even if she doesn't always interact with other dogs and just feels like playing fetch. Most dogs love to be somewhere (anywhere really) than where they usually are (home) and that's why it's so nice to have this dog park in Oneonta, which now has its own Facebook page simply called "Oneonta Community Dog Park".

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Moving forward, here's what is going to happen. According to the City of Oneonta, both sections of the dog park will remain open until we have a snowfall of 6” or more. At that point,  the large dog section will be closed for the rest of the winter. In the spring, following turf repairs and spring clean-up, the large pen will be reopened for use.

During the winter months in the open dog pen, there will be no snow removal or salting of the stone paths. There will be a few shovels left at the site for city workers or anyone willing to remove snow blocking the entrance to the dog park area but it may become necessary to close the dog park if we get too much snow. Any closure would be posted on the City of Oneonta Parks and Recreation Facebook page.

For dog park users, the city asks that people park in the Damaschke Field parking lot during the winter. Officials don't want people parking along park roadways for safety reasons and ease of city vehicles navigating through the park.

If you ever have questions about the Neahwa Dog Park, you can call the Recreation Department office at 607-432-0680.

Now for some fun! I found this video of a couple of dogs using the Oneonta dog park which made me smile and wanted to share it with you...