Sportsplex dog park expected to be open by July 1

ASHEBORO — As the dog park for the Cone Health Zoo City Sportsplex nears completion, the Asheboro City Council has approved rules for its use.

At the June 5 meeting, Recreation Services Director Jonathan Sermon said his staff toured dog parks in Archdale, Cary, Greensboro, and High Point to come up with a policy for the Sportsplex’s park.

Sermon said they hope to have the park opened by July 1. They can open it once they complete the fence around the entrance and post the rules.

The dog park will open from 8 a.m. to sunset. Small and large breeds will have separate sections. There will be paved entrances, seating, water stations and pet waste stations.

The dog handlers must be at least 18 years old. Children under the age of 10 will not be allowed inside the fenced area, including babies in strollers. “The reason behind that is young children like to play, dogs like to play, but they don’t always play well together,” Sermon said.

 Dog Park rules

The rules include:

■ Handler should bring no more than two dogs.

■ Dogs must be up to date on vaccines with a collar, ID tag and rabies tag.

■ Dogs must be leashed when entering and exiting the off-leash area.

■ Leashes must be removed once the dog is inside the fence, but handlers should always keep the leash in hand and remain in view and voice control of their dog.

■ Dogs that are sick, under four months of age, females in heat or with a history of aggressive behavior are not allowed.

■ No food, treats or bones inside fenced area.

■ If a dog digs a hole, the handler must fill it back in.

■ Handlers must leash and remove a dog immediately if they show signs of aggression. They must follow North Carolina law on reporting dog bites.

 Leash question

City Council member Clark Bell asked for clarification on keeping dogs off-leash inside. He said, “I understand you don’t want to leash them to the fence or to a tree or something, but you can’t walk your own dog on the leash while inside the park?”

Sermon said most of the parks they toured had rules against clipping a leashed dog to objects for safety reasons. “None of them actually addressed wanting to be able to walk your dog on the leash,” he said. “Our thinking is you could do that in the rest of the park. The dog park, the fenced area, is actually for the running and playing freely of the animal.”

All rules will be added to Section XIX of the Cultural and Recreation Services Policy Manual.