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Comment by Joanne ~ Spud* on May 10, 2009 at 4:26am

Dog parks offer place for pets to run free
By Lisa Byers
May 05, 2009 11:34 pm

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CONNEAUT LAKE — Jimmy stood outside the fence, doing some minor investigative work on the property while simply minding his own business. The only thing that diverted his attention was a flock of geese flying overhead.
He wasn’t overly excited about his stop to the Conneaut Lake Bark Park that evening. But that quickly changed.
Eager to show off the benefits of a dog park like the Bark Park, located on Foust Road at Conneaut Lake, Jimmy’s owner Bonnie Hovanik summoned her 18-month old boxer-lab mix to a fenced-in area.
The closer Jimmy got to the gate, the more excited he became. Within seconds of the second gate being opened, and with his leash removed, Jimmy was already to the other end of the fenced-in area, his tail wagging in excitement.
“There aren’t places like this where you can take a dog out and just let them run freely,” said Hovanik, a Conneaut Lake resident. “So, this is nice.”
And Jimmy seemed to thoroughly enjoy the experience.
“He loves the freedom to just be able to flat-out run,” Hovanik said. “When you’re on a leash, you can’t do that. And when they’re younger, they need to get out and run. They have so much energy.
“Jimmy gets in (the fenced-in area) and gets so energetic; he just flies. He just run, run, runs.”
Hovanik is one of a handful of members at the Bark Park, a non-profit business that officially opened Saturday at the former site of the Conneaut Lake Recreation Area adjacent to Forever Friends Pet Memorial Park. The 38-acre property offers off-leash, fenced-in areas for large and small breed dogs as well as puppies. Dogs are also permitted to run loose on the entire property, which includes two large ponds for swimming.
“I just decided that I didn’t want to do it anymore,” Bark Park owner Sue Anderson said of the Conneaut Lake Recreation Area, which was the site of several softball leagues and tournaments for seven years. “I was tired of it. So, I thought, ‘What else can I do that I really enjoy?’ I thought, ‘How about a dog park?’”
The Bark Park is one of only three dog parks in the area.
Howlabaloo Dog Park, located at 11290 Lay Road in Edinboro, has been open since 2007 and was just recently named one of the top 10 dog parks in the country by Dog Fancy magazine.
Howlabaloo is a 58-acre park that, like the Bark Park, offers various play areas for dogs.
Roger and Joanne Priest of Akron, Ohio, visited Howla-baloo this past weekend for a fundraiser as members of Doodle Kisses, a group for owners of all types of “doodles” such as labradoodles and goldendoodles. The group was at the park trying to raise funds for IDOG, a doodle rescue and rehome venture.
Joanne Priest was very impressed with the park and said she, her husband and their five-month-old goldendoodle, Spud, are already making plans to return.
“It was absolutely wonderful,” Joanne said. “We would definitely make the drive again.
“We don’t have a fenced-in area at home, which makes it hard for (Spud) to run around. So parks like these are just wonderful.”
The other area dog park, Hillcrest Dog Park, is located near Kraynak’s in Hermitage.

Members only
There are several requirements to be met before obtaining a membership to any dog park. The Bark Park and Howlabaloo both require proof of vaccinations and a current license. The Bark Park also requires all dogs to go through a free temperament evaluation.
There are also several different memberships available at either park.
In addition, the Bark Park and Howlabaloo offer dog training. Beginning the week of May 11, the Bark Park will hold weekly classes for basic obedience, puppy obedience, K-9 good citizen, junior obedience and rally. In June, agility training will also be offered.
The Bark Park will also host a series of events beginning with Tamarack Lake Kennel Club Fun Day on June 6. Summer Fest will be July 18 and 19, and the annual agility trials will be July 24 through 26.
“Everybody does something di