Originally Posted by fred53

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As to the people that have dogs with lots of fur/hair...get the fur cut short...bringing a long haired dog to a climate like this is rather cruel as they developed that long fur to keep them warm..

Dogs fur is for both keeping them warm & cool! Cutting a long hair dog's hair is dangerous in the Florida sun.Sunburn could actually be fatal to dogs. As for taking them there to run & play that's not the only reason to take a dog to the park. My girl is 13 1/2 years old so she doesn't run around alot. SShe enjoys the park by doing her business , running a little then laying in the shade and taking it all in . I'm appreciative of all the work put in by those involved in getting us this park but until there is some kind of shade or it gets cooler we'll be taking her to the Brinson Perry park!

[tomwed]

Originally Posted by Polar Bear

Yep. Long hair often insulates a dog keeping it cooler.

The grass-in-shade argument is also a bit weak imho. The grass doesn't have to be perfect, and as stated, a mulched area is a possibility.

And as also stated, trees aren't the only possible source of shade.

Finally, nobody is being demanding. We're just discussing possible ways to improve an already nice facility. I could see very limited use of the dog park in months like experienced this summer if there is no shade whatsoever .

I'll help.
We built a Robert Leathers Playground when my kids were little. We raised the money, borrowed tools from the community and contractors and did the construction in 4 days. On the second day we had 200 volunteers.

I was in charge of tools. Honestly it was one of the most fun experiences I ever had.

This would be a much smaller project than a playground and I'll bet there would be a lot of support.