Calls for Cork City Council to 'take the lead' on designated dog park

A COMMUNITY activist has called on Cork City Council to “take the lead” and open up Cork’s first designated dog park.

William O’Brien, who plans on running as an Independent candidate for the city’s South Central ward in this year’s local elections, has lent his to an ongoing campaign to establish a public area within the city bounds where dog walkers could leave their dogs off the lead.

Such spaces are already in existence in other counties in Ireland and are commonplace in some big cities abroad.

“I meet dog owners on a regular basis and its public knowledge that Cork dog owners have been campaigning for several years for designated recreational spaces for their pets, that are companions and a major part of one’s life and family,” Mr O’Brien told The Echo.

“There have been talks in city council meetings as far back as 2014 for appropriate dog park locations.” 

Mr O’Brien credited one campaigner in particular, Mairead Casey, who in 2021 ed fellow dog owners in the Cork city area to set up an online petition to highlight the need for an area for dogs.

Speaking to this publication at the time, Ms Casey said during the lockdown period, the need for such a park had become even more obvious.

“Especially during the pandemic, we have realised that we don’t really have anywhere to take the dogs where we can just let them run,” she said.

“What we’re hoping for is areas that have a fence and a gate where we can go in, leave the dogs off to run around and play with each other.” 

That petition garnered extensive , gathering close to 2,000 signatures. 

Commenting this week, Mr O’Brien said he believes it is time Cork City Council invested in creating such an area.

“There is clearly a canine-human need for pleasure and well-being in the community and studies tell us there’s a growing recognition and respect for dogs’ social, emotional and physical needs which can be met in designated safe dog parks where owners can let their dogs off lead, to play and ‘be dogs’,” Mr O’Brien said.

A spokesperson for Cork City Council said while a draft plan has been created for a designated dog park in Cork city, the funding is currently not available for such an amenity to be developed.

“Following discussions with other local authorities, a draft plan was developed for the creation of a dog park.

“This would require a large area, (most Cork parks are much smaller than Dublin parks where dog parks have been provided) allowing for the segregation of small and larger dogs.

“The Regional Park was identified as a possible site, but the cost of provision was close to €100k, with no available budget to bring it to fruition,” the spokesperson said.

“Should the required funding be provided going forward, this project will be progressed.”