From The Trussville Tribune staff reports
TRUSSVILLE – Next week the Trussville Dog Park Auxiliary will have a soft opening for its Cahaba Dog Park from dawn to dusk. A preview for Auxiliary members is scheduled for Feb. 10 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m and Feb. 11 from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m., weather permitting.
The park, located at 531 Cherokee Drive in Trussville, features more than an acre of off-leash areas for both large and small dogs to play and run freely.
The dog park was developed in response to a large community online outreach through a Facebook effort last year.
The park, funded solely by donations, raised ,000 to pay for all the park’s needs including fences, signs, waste receptacles, benches, as well as the park’s annual insurance premium.
“It’s been a group effort and has taken a lot of work, but we couldn’t have done it without the support of the community,” said Jaime Anderson, one of the park founders.
Anderson explains that one of the requirements from the City of Trussville is to close the dog park during inclement weather.
“There aren’t any restrooms or an area for pet owners to clean their dogs, plus we don’t want the park to be muddy,” she said.
The grand opening will be May 5 at the Trussville Area Chamber of Commerce City Fest, formerly known as Dog Daze. The grand opening was chosen because of the former name of the event.
“Everyone knows that City Fest used to be Dog Daze,” she said. “We want to bring back the dog days.”
Anderson says to watch the weather forecast and event updates on their Facebook page. “If it rains next week, we will not have the opening events,” she said.
Visitors are requested to abide by the following rules:
- Limit of three dogs per person, per visit
- Dogs must be kept on a leash until inside the double-gate entry. Enter the first gate with the lease and remove it prior to entering the second gate. Do the reverse when leaving.
- Secure both gates behind you, upon entering or exiting the park.
- All dogs must be properly vaccinated and at a minimum shall wear a visible identification tag.
- No puppies under four months of age allowed.
- All dogs must be spayed or neutered.
- Dogs with a history of dangerous or aggressive behavior are prohibited. Dogs must be leashed and removed from the park upon the first sign of aggression.
- Spiked collars are prohibited.
- Dogs should remain in their size-appropriate area of the Cahaba Dog Park: Over 25 lbs for Large Dog Side Under 25 lbs for Small dog side
- Owners/Handlers must take all dogs into the Large Dog Side if one of the dogs is classified as big.
For more information, visit www.trussvilledogparks.com or them on Facebook page at Cahaba Dog Park.