To the Editor:
After 20 years of being rejected by one local town, I am happy to announce that local dog owners in Page County are finally getting a long-awaited dog park, to be entitled “Bailey’s Legacy Dog Park,” which I will be donating to the Town of Stanley. It will be built soon on 3 acres next to the town’s Hawksbill Park Pool on Hawksbill Road. The County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the dog park on June 6th, and I am grateful. The only nearby dog parks currently to Page County are in Front Royal, Elkton, and Woodstock.
I want to thank the Town of Stanley for jumping on my offer to build the dog park (especially town manager Terry Pettitt and recreation director Teri Beers), as well as for the assistance from County staffers Tracy Clatterbuck and Nina Long Fox, who made it easy for this amateur to move the project along. Thanks to the cooperation and interest by all parties, this project went from concept last October to approval this month. We’ve already contracted with local fencing guru Clyde Freeze to start building the necessary fence for the park.
Tell all your friends who own dogs to get ready for the dog park’s opening, hopefully in a few months provided that the current economy cooperates. I also want to point out that dog parks are not just for dogs–they are significant community gathering spots. From my past experiences at dog parks in other states, I’ve been to some packed with over a hundred people and their dogs on a Sunday morning, with the owners chatting with neighbors and friends, reading the Sunday newspapers, sharing coffee, or simply working on their tans. Dog parks are excellent for elderly, handicapped, and disabled folk (like me) who can’t play with their dogs but can appreciate letting their unleashed pets play with other dogs. I’ve also learned that there’s a lot of interest in dog parks from home buyers, tourists, and hotels, rental cabins, and campground owners who would rather guests let their dogs poop elsewhere.
I’m developing a free booklet about the background of Bailey’s dog park, who my Bailey was, how to make these parks successful, and the rules we will be using. Interested parties can contact me at 908-361-2976 or via email (donvf8135@gmail.com) for copies. Donations also are welcome (I ain’t that rich, trust me), and you can donate at the GoFundMe website we’ve set up (gofundme.com; Baileys Legacy Dog Park). It’s been a long but worthwhile wait. My two therapy dogs and I will be there. See you soon.
Don Feliciano ~ Luray, Va.
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Thank you Town of Stanley! You were there for us when we wanted and needed a Skatepark many moons ago! Way to go on the Dog Park! We appreciate you!