My kids and I took Luna to a dog park yesterday, mainly to see what it was like. I’ve never been to a dog park, so this was a new experience for all of us. I needed to run an errand in Hazel Dell so I decided to go to Ross Dog Park, located off Highway 99 within the Bonneville Power Administration substation.
A gentle hill leads to trees and benches at Ross Dog Park
The fully-fenced park is really large with most of its 9 acres being open space. There are some trees at the top of a hill, and several benches placed around the park for owners. I read that there is even a separate area for smaller dogs.
After walking around the park for about fifteen minutes the dog and the kids were panting, so we left to go fetch some water from the car. The next dog park will have to be visited earlier in the morning when it’s not 80 degrees outside (and everyone I know from California just rolled their eyes). I can see myself (and my dog, of course) enjoying the park a lot more when it’s a little cooler outside.
If you need to get your dog out of the house to run, I would recommend this place. There is definitely plenty of room available to exert excess energy. Well-exercised dogs make happier pets!
Something else I learned today is that our local dog parks are funded by a non-profit group called DogPaw, that relies on donations and paid memberships. They receive no funding from the county (or city). It’s really great that we have this organization working to provide parks for our dogs.
Ross Dog Park is located on NE Ross St. at NE 15th Ave. Vancouver. Very easy to get to.
I look forward to checking out the other dog parks in our area. If you have a favorite, leave a message and tell me about it!
Kim Smith
Hello and welcome! Once upon a time I was a licensed animal nurse. When I had my first child I decided to leave my career and stay at home with baby. Having a child changed my perception of everything...food, products, environment, education, work, life. Everything. Since then I've been on a journey to create a more simple, holistic way of life for my family, to include the cats, dogs and chickens (and any other feathered or furry creature we have). I believe that every choice we make can bring us closer to, or take us farther away from, a harmonious existence. And our wellbeing is multi-faceted, if one area of our life is out of whack it effects everything else about us. What we eat, what we put on and in our bodies, how we integrate with our environment, how we spend our time with loved-ones, how we nourish our brains and imaginations...it ALL matters. I want to share information with you that I find truly valuable in living holistically; taking care of our whole selves. Thank-you for visiting! Kim Smith All photos used are my own, unless otherwise noted.