Dog owners may soon be allowed to bring their furry friends to an off-leash dog park in Oxford.
Oxford City Council approved the adaptation of Northside Park, located on Morning Sun Road, to include an off-leash dog area at its meeting Tuesday.
Northside Park will be the first Oxford park to offer an off-leash area for dogs. All other parks allow visitors to bring dogs, but the dogs must be on a leash.
Gail Brahier, director of Oxford Parks and Recreation Department, said the one-acre park is ideal to add an off-leash dog area to serve both residents and Miami University students because Northside Park is not as heavily utilized as other Oxford parks.
"This (Northside Park) is a very appropriate site," Brahier said.
Northside Park already has existing parking spaces, partial fencing and a variety of terrain which makes it manageable and adaptable, Brahier said.
"We thought this would be a good site to get the students to bring their dogs too, for an off-leash area for socialization and interaction with other dogs and other people in the community," said Charlene York, representative from Friends of the Dog Park.
Oxford Parks and Recreation teamed up with the Friends of the Dog Park to research an appropriate site and create rules and restrictions to promote a safe environment for pets, Brahier said.
One proposed rule is to have pet owners apply for a key or swipe card to enter the off-leash dog area, which would ensure pets entering the park had been appropriately immunized, Brahier said.
The Friends of the Dog Park members agreed to raise funds for any renovations for the site and work with city council to find a suitable place, Brahier said.
City councilor Kate Currie said a locked area might be too restricting and limiting for dog owners to go through a process of getting a key, and she would like Parks and Recreation to further investigate the best way to maintain the dog park.
"I think that you (Parks and Recreation) are really going to reduce the number of people who are utilizing that park," Currie said.
A committee will be formed to further research the best way to control the off-leash dog area, Brahier said.
A volunteer group in the Greek Spring Clean event will clean up debris in Northside Park this Saturday, York said.
Oxford Mayor Prue Dana said the city will move forward quickly on this project.
"They (Friends of the Dog Park) are raising funds to prepare the site which allows the city to have something that is a benefit to all," Dana said.
