Posts Tagged ‘Fort Woof’

What: A place to hang out with your dog. But more than that, a place where your dog can hang out with a lot of other dogs, and you can meet other dog owners. Not to mention it’s just about the only place in the city where you can legally let your dog run off-leash.

Dogs play at last month's "Barktoberfest," an annual festival at the East Fort Worth dog park.

There are two separate enclosures of 4-foot high chain link, one for canines under 40 pounds and one for larger animals. A few tubes and jumps are set out for the dogs, and there are shaded benches and tables for owners.

Yes, “doggie bags” for picking up after your dog are provided and must be used.

Where: At Gateway Park, just east of downtown Fort Worth. Take the 30 towards Dallas and get off on Beach. Travel 1/4 mile north and turn right at the large sign into the park. At the end of the road, a couple hundred yards away is a parking lot and a dog park, easily visible because of the chain link fence. At a recent visit, banners were promoting the park’s selection as one of America’s top ten dog parks, according to Dog Fancy magazine, as well as the election of the mayor of Fort Woof, Tsunami, a Chinese Crested. The dog-mayoral election is a fundraiser for the park that raised $4800 this year.

When:

Gateway park is open from 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. each day. The dog park is lighted for evening visits. On Thursday evenings, the park hosts Fort Woof after dark, and boosters strive to make sure there is always a fun-loving group of dogs and owners at that time.

According to observers, weekends when the weather is fair are the busiest and generally best times to visit, although at peak hours it can get crazy.

Why: Because dogs just want to be free! And they love it the most when there are other dogs around to enjoy the freedom.

How: Make sure your dog has rabies tags and all vaccinations, as well as a licence, and observe rules which you can read at the park’s website.