Rio Grand unofficial dog park
 

Does anyone know what is going on with the unofficial dog park behind the Rio Grand Rec Center. There was an article yesterday in the on line news site that said that access to the dog walking area had been shut off. We are currently up North so can not check it out for ourselves. If the article is correct, that really $ucks out loud for dog owners like ourselves that live nearby. That area for us is truly one of the hidden gems of the entire Villages, which we use multiple times per day when we are at our Villages home. It is the only place we have found in the Villages where we can get something that resembles adequate exercise for our Boarder Collie. We are going to be very upset and disappointed if access to that area has been discontinued.

A friend who lives near Rio Grande Pool and Mail Center and who used to take various dogs there over the years said they are expanding the air gun range and closing the access to the field for people who exercise their dogs.

It sounds like many of the dog owners were neglecting to clean up after their dogs and leaving the poop all over the place to just create a big stink in many ways. A lot of people were complaining to whomever would listen as well.

I used to take Sport there five years or more back and he loved it but the people seemed to pick up the dog poop that their pooches left. My current dog needs a fenced in area to run. He is a wanderer and very curious about things.

Dam the irresponsible dog owners that ruin things for the ones that respect the property. Every time I bring Sallie to that area I tend to walk out with four or five full poop bags, of which one is sometime Sallie's business. If people would respect the right to use the area, it wouldn't be closed. As I get older, I have no tolerance for lazy and disrespectful people that ruin a good thing for others.

It did sound from my friend that this was the real reason. She now has a puppy that runs around a lot so she comes to the dog park I go to-- Doggie Doo Run Run. It does have a 5 acre back field where dogs can really run and there is a pool back there where I have seen up to 4 big dogs splashing around at once. They change the water a few times a day too. Doggie Doo Run Run is its name and it is about 1 mile north on CR101 on the right side when travelling north. Belvedere becomes CR101 when it crosses CR466 at Southern Trace Shopping Center. Nice people and you mark the poop with little metal sticks and the employees and/or dog park owners pick up the poop. There are some unmarked poops but not that many. You do have to watch where you walk though as there are a very few poops lying around. There is some socializing going on there and sometimes the people do not see their dogs go.

Really? How can you be upset over no longer being able to use something that was not sanctioned for dogs to begin with?

Isn't that private property?

Rumor has it, original owner would not sell to TV, she died, survivors ready to sell or have sold, at one time TV was going develop into recreational facility, did I mention that this is a RUMOR.

You can probably check that by looking at the Sumter County Property Appraiser's site. I believe that is Sumter County there.

If it was not sanctioned then why did they have an opening in the fenced area allowing access knowing exactly what people (and their dogs) where using the property for? In fact, several times I used the property and was given a friendly wave from the community watch person hanging out in the parking lot.

My understanding of the community watch is they have no police authority or any authority for that matter to stop any one from doing anything. They are to observe and report only. If this property is or was privately owned then The Villages has no authority over it. Why there was an opening the in the fenced area, who knows? Just because there was an opening in the fence doesn't mean anyone can just walk in and do as they please.

You mean people were trespassing on this private area? I was wondering why nothing was built on it previously.

Have you ever been to this area? Speculation without first hand knowledge is dangerous, actual observations from people who frequent this property carries much more credible weight.

No! Lake Co. Actually the address for the Rio Grande Pool is:

1228 Rio Grande Ave
Lady Lake, FL 32162

Look on the Lake Co. Property Appraiser's Site:

Welcome to The Property Appraiser's Office for Lake County, Florida

:ohdear:

:shocked: Yes, that is what was going on. Can you imagine..... dog owners are upset with other dog owners who don't pick up after their dogs. HOW DO YOU THINK THE PROPERTY OWNERS FEEL???? :oops:

That should help with showing who owns what of that Rio Grande area field used in the past as a make shift dog run. Dog owners have been using it for one since at least 2008 if not before.