In October of 2009, the Shelburne Parks and Recreation Department conducted a survey among Shelburne residents to gauge the level of interest for a dog park in Town. The results are in and the majority approves.

One hundred and seventy-four residents filled out surveys. Of those 174, 125 people answered "yes," they are interested in establishing a dog park in Shelburne.

Survey respondents also had the opportunity to share concerns, questions, and personal opinions about a dog park.

Some of the key points and concerns mentioned were the cleanup of waste, dog owners taking responsibility for their pet's behavior, locations under consideration, and costs to create and maintain the park.

With regard to clean up, several people mentioned that the unofficial dog park (the Shelburne Bay Path) is littered with dog waste, and that the garbage can at the start of the path is often overloaded with bags of dog waste.

Other residents shared the concern that dog owners in Shelburne have little regard for leashing their dogs. One resident commented, "I walk on the path at Shelburne Bay often and there are always many people there who ignore the regulations about leashing and cleaning up after their dogs. I would like to have a dog park and make the path at Shelburne Bay a dog-free walking area."

As quoted from the Ordinance of the Care and Control of Animals with regard to the Running at Large section, "No owner or keeper shall permit a domestic dog or wolf-hybrid owned by him/her or under his/her keeping or control to run at large. The owner or keeper of a domestic dog or wolf-hybrid shall not allow the animal to enter or remain on the property of others, including lawns, gardens, yards, schoolyards, parks and/or playgrounds at any time or in any manner in which it would be unlawful for the owner to so enter or remain." Essentially, this is Shelburne's leash law: as long as a dog is kept under the owner's control, and not on private property, the owner is abiding by Shelburne's ordinance. If another resident feels as though a dog is a nuisance or public disturbance, that person may formally complain and appropriate action is taken.

There are no certain dog park locations under consideration at this time. Comments from those surveyed indicated some interest in the field between the boat access and the Shelburne Bay Path would be appropriate. However, first things first: a location cannot be considered without a group of citizens ready to take responsibility to look into the proposed park's logistics and specifics of cost, maintenance, and location.

Shelburne resident Bob Bick is taking responsibility for this initiative.

A longtime dog lover, Bick believes that "dogs need space." Bick and his wife own three dogs, and they do have a yard, but also feel it is important for their dogs to socialize with other canines.

Bick would like to find a space for the dog park that is convenient and centrally located and that will not disturb any neighbors.

Cost is another concern for residents. Some say that a dog park should not be paid for through Town taxes. Others say that even though they do not have children, they still have to pay taxes for a school. Bick says he thinks funds potentially can be raised through raising the dog registration fees, so that dog owners directly help to pay for the park. In 2009, 732 dogs were registered in Shelburne. It also seems likely that a number of dogs in Shelburne are not registered. Bick also thinks that other funds could come through fundraising efforts and private funds.

The next step is to gather a group of interested Shelburne residents to come together and figure out the logistics. Cost and location are the two top priorities for the group. If you are interested in helping in the formation of a community dog park in Shelburne contact Bick via email at rowibi@gmail.com.