Community Featured

Prince Street Dog Park Opens in North End [Photos]

Local non-profit, RUFF, Responsible Urbanites for Fido, and the City of Boston held a banner Spring Grand Opening of the Prince Street Dog Park in the North End. The two-level canine park is located in the flights area of DeFilippo Playground, also known as the Gassy.

Exploration and open play was the main activity for the dozens of dogs that attended with treats for humans too. The Spring grand opening was held at DeFilippo Playground on Saturday, April 28th. RUFF North End President Leslie Horn said,

“It has been a long road but we finally reached the finish line. Thank you to everyone that contributed and worked so hard to bring the North End a top-of-the-line community dog park.”

The gated park features separated areas for small and large dogs, jumps, tunnels, decking along with lush artificial grass, water features such as misting fire hydrants. Sprinkers are now working to give regular wash downs of the dog park.

13 Replies to “Prince Street Dog Park Opens in North End [Photos]

  1. How many members does RUFF have? It would be nice if they could have a few members volunteer each week to walk the streets and pick up piles of dog poop all over the place.

    1. Hi Mark,

      We are a volunteer board of 5. We all do carry extra bags and pick up waste when we see it, but we also don’t want the neighborhood to become reliant on a group of volunteers to pick up after them. We have 6 bags dispensers through out the neighborhood that we stock with bags for the residents to use. We also participate in the yearly neighborhood cleanup and focus on cleaning up dog waste.

      If you have ideas on how to hold owners accountable, we would love to hear them. It’s something that we talk about weekly and while we do a lot, we can’t do it all.

      Email us at info@ruffboston.org if you want to get involved or have suggestions!

  2. Thank you to RUFF for all their hard work in the neighborhood. This is a monumental achievement. I’m not actually a dog owner but I know that having this dog park will make the North End a better place (and yes, with less dog poop on the streets). It has already transformed the flights into a desirable area rather than the blighted disgrace it was before.

    In answer to MarkF, call Public Works (and the Mayor’s office, city councilor, 311, etc.) and get them to put more trash barrels on the streets. That is how you get dog poop off the streets. The bags you see lying around are because dog owners can’t find anywhere to put them other than the curbs and sewers. Public works will probably say “no” because they don’t want to empty more barrels, but just keep asking.

    1. Some time ago they did have pole pots around the neighborhood, but they did fill up and weren’t emptied. It’s true that City Works doesn’t want to take on the task of cleaning dog dew, but the majority of residents don’t want a property tax increase to pay for more clean up either, for dogs that aren’t theirs. One thing that can be done is raise the dog registraton fees for additional personnel and disposal facilities. Keep in mind this isn’t only a North End issue. Also, increase and enforce fines for unregistered animals Most of the enforcement will have to come from residents themselves. Given the prevalence of this issue all over the city, it’s rediculous to feel that 7×24 hour foot patrols for every block in the city is feasible.

  3. Wow what a transformation… but I still miss the days where young men gathered up there to hang out. Place was always loaded with the youth of the neighborhood. Now they sit home and play Nintendo

  4. Baffles me as to how many of the young residents have dogs & particularly larger dogs. Probably the worst neighborhood in the entire city to raise a large dog. Not fair to the dog.

  5. So true Sal,,played many a whiffle ball game in those upper levels with the garage wall always being the “Fenway wall”but I’m happy it’s been put to good use rather than be unused plus we have gotten more people with dogs now and it’s good for them,,but the few who don’t pick up elsewhere after their dogs give respectable dogs owner a unfair rap,,,good job ruff Boston and those who helped make this possible!

  6. Mario, for me I remember the gassy as well as some other spots in the NE as “lovers lanes” without cars. I could not agree with you more about people having a place for dogs to socialize with other dogs and the efforts of the ruff organization You are absolutely right about the respectable owners getting a bum rap for the actions of a few who have no respect for the neighborhood.

  7. Number one its true large dogs in north end is terrible Not fair to the dogs Plus every street people walk there is dog poop on sidewalks and blue bags in mosts doorways! Look around people!

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