After several years of planning and construction, the new official North End Dog Park was opened on Saturday morning, December 16th, with a celebration by the local non-profit, RUFF, Responsible Urbanites for Fido.
Located in the flights area of the Gassy, looking over DeFilippo Playground, the new dog park will be fully operational through the winter months with new water features coming in the warmer weather. RUFF North End President Leslie Horn describes the days leading up to the opening.
“Each day has brought new challenges and successes. The concrete is now a lush green grass just waiting for paws to prance on! Jumps, tunnels, decking, misting hydrants and more have been installed and will prove to provide endless entertainment for our four-legged members and their owners. Lighting has been improved so that even when it is dark at 4pm, play time will go on! In the Spring, the water features will be online. The list goes on. It has been a long road and we have worked so hard to bring the North End a top-of-the line community dog park. We have finally reached the finish line.”
The opening celebration featured swag for dogs and RUFF North End t-shirts for the two-legged fans. Polkadog bakery was on hand with even more treats. Exploration and open play was the main activity for the dozens of dogs that attended.
RUFF’s Chair and President, Amy and Leslie, speak at the event shown in the video above. (Video by Roy Bettano).
hopefully the lazy dog owners will let their dogs go up there to do their business instead of in front of everyone else’s house but their own! also, stop letting the dogs do their business in the playground area where the kids play. and stop letting the dogs off leash in the playground. I know it’s not all dog owners, but alot of them do not give a “crap”!!! There is dog poop all over the NORTH END!
I am thrilled to be living in the North End, because it is a real neighborhood, and RUFF is a perfect example of this. All of us can be grateful for this little civic organization, which is the essence of American can-do culture. I happen to believe this community-oriented spirit is our country’s best hope and greatest strength. M.C. , I hear your pain, but I also encourage you to consider this vs. Budapest, a famously beautiful European city, whose sidewalks are truly covered with dog s—-. There is no culture of dog poop shame there or regard for the common sidewalk. We are lucky to be part of a community that includes RUFF. That said, the garbage problem in the North End is staggering, and So if anyone can figure out how to apply the civic virtues of RUFF to the restaurant and student populations, I will be even more excited to live here!
It is not just the students and restaurants that contribute to the garbage problem. Young professionals through old timers put the trash out incorrectly and on the wrong days. There is a building on my street where the young professionals put their trash out on Tuesday for Friday pickup and Friday for Monday pickup . I have been emailing the management company every week for three years. Nobody cares including absentee building owners and their management companies. Fines do not mean anything. I know this is mean but I am hoping that one or two of the rats that wonder on my street will get into the building and then these inconsiderate clueless self entitled pigs will start acting like responsible members of the community.