Dog Parks Offer Connection Among Pets and Community

Many dog owners look for convenient and bucolic spots to stretch their legs with a furry friend, some rediscovering welcome community among the squirrels and old oaks. 

At Central Commons Community Dog Park, hidden behind the church at 4711 Westside Drive, dog lovers let pets mix and mingle in the ample shade of large trees, give their canines a scrub at the washing station, and even order coffee from the church café. 

Large fans bring a welcome breeze and discourage mosquitoes during the balmy months. 

Westminster Community Dog Park, nestled behind Westminster Presbyterian Church at 8200 Devonshire Drive, offers shaded areas with chairs and benches, a dog washing station, a dog run, and kiddie pools for pets to cool off.  

“It’s my safe place,” said Preston Hollow’s Dale Carlton, who has been visiting regularly for 16 years with her dogs. “It’s where my friends are. When my partner of 31 years died, I came here right after the funeral. This place saved my life.” 

“I make sure everyone is neutered or spayed,” Carlton added with a chuckle. “Once, I got knocked over in the middle of the park by the dogs. You never stand and talk in the middle of a dog park.” 

Many regulars have been visiting the park for years and are on a first-name basis with each other and each other’s dogs. In the evenings, circles of chairs are formed, and friendly conversation can continue until sundown as the beloved pups fetch, investigate, and chase each other.

“I usually remember the dog’s name if not the owner’s,” Carlton admitted.

“I’ve been coming since January. So, I’m new,” said Dawnette Shelton of Preston Hollow, though the present group agrees no one would suspect as much. 

“I like to organize,” she said, “arranging chairs, cleaning water bowls, keeping the place neat.”

“For me, this place is a refuge from all the modern noise,” said Jennifer Small, a frequenter with her pug, Bluto. “And there’s no shortage of hilarity. It’s a place with quiet character that’s full of larger-than-life characters, both the dogs and the humans. It’s one of those little unexpected pockets of fun that makes Dallas a place I’ve actually come to enjoy more than I ever imagined.”