Another dog park in the works for Carmel

0
The dog park at Clay Terrace Mall recently installed a double gate to prevent dogs from escaping when others enter the park. (Staff photo)
The dog park at Clay Terrace Mall recently installed a double gate to prevent dogs from escaping when others enter the park. (Staff photo)

By Pete Smith

Carmel residents have long had to travel to other communities to utilize a dog park for their pets – or take the risk of walking off-leash.

But soon people might have a multitude of options as another Carmel business has announced to plans to put a dog park on its property.

Companion Animal Medical Center CEO Hal Bond said plans are in the works for his company to purchase the former Lotus Garden restaurant building that sits just east of the U.S. 31 overpass of Range Line Road.

He said construction on remodeling the building could begin as soon as this fall, but a dog park located on the south end of the property’s parking lot likely wouldn’t be open until 2015.

And that’s just the latest in a string of Carmel dog park news.

The existing dog park at Clay Terrace Mall recently added a double gate to prevent dogs from escaping when new dogs enter the park. Its addition will likely encourage more people to try using the park again after initial negative impressions.

And construction has begun on Carmel’s first city dog park at Central Park on 116th Street.

Parks Director Mark Westermeier said that low-quality trees are being cleared from the site and that it could be open sometime late this year if the grass is able to grow strong enough to withstand the dogs’ traffic.

He also said at a recent Clay Township Board meeting that the dog park will require memberships and that a lottery system will likely be needed to distribute the passes, with priority given to people who live within walking distance.

“If we don’t limit the number of dogs, it will just become a mud pit,” Westermeier said.


Current Morning Briefing Logo

Stay CURRENT with our daily newsletter (M-F) and breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox for free!

Select list(s) to subscribe to



By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: . You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact
Share.

Current Morning Briefing Logo

Stay CURRENT with our daily newsletter (M-F) and breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox for free!

Select list(s) to subscribe to



By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: . You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact