Dog lovers showed their enthusiasm last weekend, when they built a split-cedar fence around Renton’s first off-leash dog park in two days.
Though volunteers have much more work ahead of them, the Cedar River Dog Park is ready to use, and the dog community is starting to make a presence.
“We were excited to hear about it,” said Renton’s Pete Orgill, who brought his Boston terrier Rambo to the park. “It’s hard to find places around here to let your dog run free.”
The 3 1/2-acre park is located along the Cedar River Trail, a popular place to walk a dog. With nearby parking, it has easy accessibility for Renton residents.
“I didn’t know it was going to be this big,” Orgill said.
The speed that Renton’s Unleashed Furry Friends (RUFF) group is developing the park and raising funds is surprising and encouraging, said RUFF volunteer Lyla Smith.
The group started the project about three months ago.
“Those volunteers – I’ve never seen someone work so fast in my life,” said Renton’s Merrily Pettibone, who walks her friend’s Labrador retriever regularly.
About 50 people worked over the weekend, and some just walked in off the trail, Smith said. “We definitely felt like it was a community event,” she said.
With a diverse and talented team of volunteers, much of the work has been done without cost, and McLendon’s Hardware donated all of the wood and vinyl for the fencing, Smith said.
RUFF still hopes to raise another $24,000 to complete its $50,000 goal.
“We’re not done yet, but now we can officially have the dogs go into the park,” she said.
A corral for small dogs and the double-gates were also installed over the weekend.
Water lines have been laid, but it may be a few weeks before the City of Renton installs a spigot, Smith said.
The city also plans to install and maintain mutt mitts (to clean up after your pet), trash cans and a portable toilet, Smith said. Though “the actual maintenance of the park is going to be volunteer driven,” she said.
RUFF also hopes to install benches and logs for sitting and a kiosk for information and park rules.
For more information visit the RUFF’s Web site,
