Paws-itively refreshing

Regular attendees of the Granbury Bark Park and their furry friends are celebrating a “doggone” win with the recent addition of new water spigots in two of the four fenced-in areas.

The 1.5-acre park — which is divided into separate areas for large and small dogs — previously required pet owners to carry water across the parking lot in buckets, as there was no water access inside the park.

“We've always had to carry water in buckets to that area,” said Jessi Drum, a frequent visitor to the park. “I personally have purchased multitudes of Home Depot buckets, large and small, and we just leave them up there and they've been stolen."

Larry Warner, a regular at the park since its opening in 2013, shared that for as long as he's been visiting, the dog park has lacked water access inside the fences.

“You had to get it over there (in the parking lot), which is not a bad deal, except you had to have something to haul it, and then you had to either take it with you each time, or it gets thrown away, or stolen,” he told the Hood County News.

Warner explained that in the early years, he made several attempts to have water installed in the dog park but was met with little success.

"I didn't go (talk with a city) official or anything, but I'd catch somebody (when they came out here), and let them know, but they basically had the attitude of, ‘We don’t really want to mess with you guys,’” he said. “And if you went to them with a complaint or a request or whatever, they’d tell you to go mind your own business. It got to the point where I was like, ‘It won‘t do any good.’”

To remedy the situation, Drum decided to take matters into her own hands by creating a petition urging the city to install plumbing for water access in the dog areas.

“I found out that they were going to be doing this upgrade, where they were adding a handicap ramp to one of the dog parks and I was like, ‘Hey, this is the perfect opportunity. I’m going to write this up, I’m going to get everybody to sign it, and hopefully they’ll hear us out,’” she said.

In the petition, Drum explained that having a reliable water source would “significantly enhance the experience for both dogs and their owners,” and would also encourage more visitors to enjoy the park.

"We believe that this enhancement aligns with the community’s commitment to providing a safe and enjoyable environment for all,” the petition reads.

With approximately 40 signatures — including Warner’s — Drum submitted the petition to the city of Granbury’s Internal Services Director Aaron McLain Monday, Oct. 28.

McLain, who received the petition by email, said he agreed with Drum that it is a hassle having dog owners carry the water into the park — and it wasn’t long before the city had a solution.

By tapping into a water line nearby, McLain explained that the city was able to run a pipe under the fence dividing two of the parks and install a “hose bib” or water spigot on each side of the fence.

"Two of the dog parks now have access to water inside, so with a small, short hose we provided, they can fill up a bowl for the dog to drink out of at those two points,” McLain said.

To “kill two birds with one stone,” McLain explained that the city also addressed some areas that had eroded, as they were “high trafficked areas.”

"You can tell where the dogs walk frequently; they create trails,” he said. “So, we brought in some more dirt where we'd had some erosion and poured some more concrete to make the transition areas a little friendlier in those two areas. We were there working on the hose bibs and had to close the park anyway, so we (figured we) might as well just take advantage of that time.”

In no time — about four days, according to McLain — the city had resolved a longstanding issue that had been a source of frustration for park visitors.

“I'm so excited that they put that (the hose bib) in,” Drum said. “I hope they do the other two sides, too. They're not used as much, but they do get used and especially in the summer, when it's 100-plus degrees, it's just too hot for the dogs to be out there. But every other dog park in the free world always has water spigots that are easily accessible inside the dog park. They usually have dog water fountains, but I'm pretty sure those are relatively expensive and have a tendency to freeze up and bust, so right now, I'm happy with the spigot.”

Warner said while he is grateful for the new water access, he hopes the city will turn its attention to another long-standing concern: the number of stickers in the park.

"The only other thing that's not kosher out here is the stickers,” he said. “For about six years at least they’ve been (a real problem), where they take over the whole area. Early on, they're soft, and then they get really bad, and you'll track them.”

He explained that his dog, Lily, has sensitive feet and tracks the stickers into his house and carpet — leading him to accidentally step on them on several different occasions.

“It’s been a problem for at least six years, and I complained the first two or three years, but it didn't do any good,” he said. “Of course, maybe the petition is the way to go.”

With the new improvements, the dog park now offers better access to water, and a more durable surface — meaning both pets and their owners can finally focus on what matters most: having fun.

"On the weekends in the large dog enclosure off of the parking lot, sometimes there will be up to 20 or more dogs in the one enclosure, and they all know each other,” Drum said. “They're all friends, and they all run around like crazy toddlers hyped up on sugar. They just have a good time.”

Built “in house,” the Granbury Bark Park provides several obstacles for dogs to run and play on — including creatively repurposed old fire hydrants that were no longer in use.

“They had been taken out of use because of old age, and they couldn't get parts for them, so we use those in the dog park,” McLain said. “It's kind of a funny thing, but believe it or not, they're actually used just like you see them used in movies by the dogs.”

In addition to the play features, the park also includes benches and picnic tables, offering both sunny and shaded spots for owners to relax while their dogs have fun — and they definitely do, according to Drum.

“I go every morning,” she said. “I have a husky, and if I do not either take her for a walk, take her for a swim in the mornings, or take her to the park, she sits next to my desk and howls at me.”

With 11 years and counting, it’s clear that the Granbury Bark Park will continue to be a community staple for several years to come.

“The city of Granbury loves its residents and loves their dogs,” Communications Manager Jeff Newpher added.

The Granbury Bark Park is located at 600 W. Moore St. All dogs must be registered and properly vaccinated before being allowed into the off-leash park.