[DavidCovid]

Hello Everyone -
My name is David and a recent arrival / homeowner in The Villages.

I have one question regarding the Dog Parks, especially in the new / Southern sections. The grass areas of the Dog Parks have deteriorated in the last several months and have virtually no grass and most of the ground has turned to mud. Will The Villages ever correct this situation ? Thanks

[Marathon Man]

Originally Posted by DavidCovid

Hello Everyone -
My name is David and a recent arrival / homeowner in The Villages.

I have one question regarding the Dog Parks, especially in the new / Southern sections. The grass areas of the Dog Parks have deteriorated in the last several months and have virtually no grass and most of the ground has turned to mud. Will The Villages ever correct this situation ? Thanks

You might try calling them. Ask for District Property Management to report the issue and ask about a timeline to make corrections.

[vintageogauge]

No rain, lots of dogs, urine on the grass, put it all together and you get deterioration. Both of our vets recommended that we don't take our dog to a dog park as not all of us keep our pets current on their meds or even rabies and a good place to pickup parasites . Before their advice we used the one in DeSoto the day after it opened and it was a disgusting mess, poop all over the place not only within the fenced area but along the sidewalk. Can't blame the dogs. Never went back and never will, we exercise him on the walking trails like most people do.

[Road-Runner]

Originally Posted by vintageogauge

No rain, lots of dogs, urine on the grass, put it all together and you get deterioration. Both of our vets recommended that we don't take our dog to a dog park as not all of us keep our pets current on their meds or even rabies and a good place to pickup parasites . Before their advice we used the one in DeSoto the day after it opened and it was a disgusting mess, poop all over the place not only within the fenced area but along the sidewalk. Can't blame the dogs. Never went back and never will, we exercise him on the walking trails like most people do.

New to The Villages ourselves and definitely planning on taking the dogs to the parks, now I'm not so sure. It would make us all (dogs included) unhappy if the parks are not kept up to the point they're unusable.

[vintageogauge]

Originally Posted by Road-Runner

New to The Villages ourselves and definitely planning on taking the dogs to the parks, now I'm not so sure. It would make us all (dogs included) unhappy if the parks are not kept up to the point they're unusable.

It's always advisable to wear boots when you go there and wash your dog's feet when you get home.

[Toymeister]

Well here is a reply that is both helpful and answers the question (those get pretty rare here):

Dudley dog park was measured for sod or seed two weeks ago. I spoke to them myself, this is not conjecture.

I expect work within a month. They did not give me a start date, though.

[Summerhouse]

I take my dog to the Moyer Loop dog park and I think it is in ‘reasonable’ shape for the time of year and the amount of usage it gets.
There is a hose with a hand sprayer that I use to spray my pup’s feet off on the cement. They dry by the time we walk to the car.

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by DavidCovid

Hello Everyone -
My name is David and a recent arrival / homeowner in The Villages.

I have one question regarding the Dog Parks, especially in the new / Southern sections. The grass areas of the Dog Parks have deteriorated in the last several months and have virtually no grass and most of the ground has turned to mud. Will The Villages ever correct this situation ? Thanks

Dog parks are a part of the Recreation Department. A call to them with your concerns and you can ask about continued maintenance.
352-674-1800
This site has a lot of information you might find helpful. Village Community Development Districts
Further, here are the rules & info on dog parks. Dog Parks

[Fredman]

Try miss Kate Bed and Biscuit on 475 in Oxford $5 for two hours of play. Take my dog there on a frequent basis. Also can board your dog

[valuemkt]

Both Dudley and Rupert are in need of repair. We've been told the same thing regarding sod. Recent seeding was pretty much a joke. Will it need to be redone again and again ? Yep. Just like fairways and greens need repair. All part of the amenity fee. Dirty ? I have enough experience that the "regulars" clean up their dog's mess and we each point out when other dogs are doing their business. Are there miscreants that don;t pick up after their dogs ? Yep, self and group policing only go so far. Current shots ? Please. The folks that take their dogs there are largely responsible owners that treat their animals as valued members of their family. To paint a broad brush of dogs without shots etc is a croc. If you personally know of a dog that is running around without shots, call animal control.

[GrumpyOldMan]

We are discussing if we would be comfortable taking our dogs to the parks again, and at this point we are starting to plan, but will be probably be a couple months - for us.

As far as can you expect them to be maintained, I have no concerns that they will be maintained. One of the reasons we moved here is the excellent job that is done maintaining everything. Drive up to the north end and the old areas - 20 years and still very well maintained.

I am sure part of the issue is the dog parks were closed for a while due to the pandemic, combine that with just coming off the winter and things can look pretty shabby.

I am sure they will be fixed.

[DAVES]

If, I am reincarnated I want to come back as a Villager's dog.

A stroller? I demand air conditioning.

As far as outfits. If, you get a new dog and it bites you when you try to put that stuff on.
Check to be sure I am still posting. It might be me.

[DAVES]

Originally Posted by valuemkt

Both Dudley and Rupert are in need of repair. We've been told the same thing regarding sod. Recent seeding was pretty much a joke. Will it need to be redone again and again ? Yep. Just like fairways and greens need repair. All part of the amenity fee. Dirty ? I have enough experience that the "regulars" clean up their dog's mess and we each point out when other dogs are doing their business. Are there miscreants that don;t pick up after their dogs ? Yep, self and group policing only go so far. Current shots ? Please. The folks that take their dogs there are largely responsible owners that treat their animals as valued members of their family. To paint a broad brush of dogs without shots etc is a croc. If you personally know of a dog that is running around without shots, call animal control.

Sadly, like most things people see the bad and the good goes unnoticed. I've owned dogs in the past-not now. It is the dog's instinct not to do natural results of digestion where it lives. Reason it is a potential disease spreader.

Reality, we all know more people claim to be perfect than are. Dog poo left on my lawn.
Urine stains. Is it a phantom or someone who looks around and sees no one is looking

[vintageogauge]

Originally Posted by valuemkt

Both Dudley and Rupert are in need of repair. We've been told the same thing regarding sod. Recent seeding was pretty much a joke. Will it need to be redone again and again ? Yep. Just like fairways and greens need repair. All part of the amenity fee. Dirty ? I have enough experience that the "regulars" clean up their dog's mess and we each point out when other dogs are doing their business. Are there miscreants that don;t pick up after their dogs ? Yep, self and group policing only go so far. Current shots ? Please. The folks that take their dogs there are largely responsible owners that treat their animals as valued members of their family. To paint a broad brush of dogs without shots etc is a croc. If you personally know of a dog that is running around without shots, call animal control.

The only shot animal control is concerned with would be rabies. Not parasites, kennel cough, worms, etc. To paint a broad brush of dogs all being up to date on all of their shots is a croc. Ask any vet what they think of dog parks and you will probably get the same answer as we got, stay away from them.

[CFrance]

The only dog park I found acceptable is Doggy Doo Run Run on CR 101 just outside of TV. Lots of room, clean, grassy, plenty of shade for dogs and people. It was $3/visit or $30/month unlimited. You had to provide a vaccination record, and the dog had to be neutered. The only time I liked going there was 2 pm when it was empty. The early morning crowd was too much for us. Many people congregate at certain times and pay more attention to each other than to what their dogs are doing. This was especially true at Moyer (I think it's called Atlas Dog Park), where a certain dog would whip the pack up into a frenzy while the owner paid no attention. We quit going there. There was no shade, anyway. It also had drainage problems, which may have been fixed by now.

Our guy is now too old to go to a dog park, but he and I don't really miss it.