YORKTON - In March dog owners using Wiggly Field Dog Park in the city appeared before Yorkton Council hoping the city would add some amenities and new fixtures to the facility.
At the meeting Shannon O’Neill told Council dog owners were hoping to see three features added at the park; lighting at the north gate, a wind shelter for owners, and some canine enrichment structures.
The park was opened in 2015, and sees continued growth in year-round usage, said O’Neill Co-Chair of the Wiggly Field Improvement Committee, citing that according to reports (source: Abacus Data), almost one million Canadians adopted or brought pets into their homes during the pandemic.
The group behind the request to the city has continued to meet with the city toward seeing the improvements made.
Since the presentation to City Council the group was referred to the department of Parks Recreation and Culture, said O’Neill.
“We’ve had a face-to-face meeting with them,” she said, adding they were encouraged by the results of that meeting,
O’Neill said they were told the city would come up with some firm cost estimates for the project including solar lighting like that used on Logan Green.
The city also indicated it would do installation, and could even provide some old tires as play structure, she said.
“So they’ve been really willing to work for us,” said O’Neill.
At the meeting of Council O’Neill said dog and owner safety is the most important issue currently at Wriggly Field. As it stands to date, there are two lights inside the park fence however they are not very bright and only light up the south gate and cement padded area. The rest of the park is very dark, and you cannot see your pet if they stray anywhere else.
The shelter would give owners a place to get out of inclement weather.
The proposed shelter would be similar to the baseball dugouts at J.C Beach Ball Diamond to not only match the aesthetic but also this allows for a partially open shelter where pet owners can effectively watch their pets.
Structures would keep dogs happy.
Enrichment structures not only provide fun for the dogs, but it has been known to “reduce stress in dogs and reinforce socialization practices” (source: Purdue University), explained the presentation.
When asked the potential cost of the improvements, O’Neill said while it might vary and they had not worked with the city on an estimate they were expecting $15-$20,000, but they expect a more accurate number when they again meet with the city in May.
The other message from the Parks Recreation and Culture meeting was for the owner group to do some fundraising because that would make it more palatable for the city to undertake the project with user group financial support.
The first fundraising effort has already been announced.
“We have partnered with a local business, KbK Designs, to launch our first fundraiser as a Dog Mom's Mother’s Day campaign,” said O’Neill. “Through this campaign we will have various shirts and sweaters for pet parents to purchase and 20 per cent of proceeds will come back to the organizing committee.”
The campaign will run April 14 to-23 and also includes apparel for cat parents and dads.
What is offered, and how to order can be found following the links at www.kbkdesigns.ca
