celebrate | wellington
A PLAYGROUND FOR DOGS Wellington Dog Park Offers A Gathering Spot For Canine Residents And Their Human Companions
BY M. DENNIS TAYLOR
With a strong focus on recreation, the Village of Wellington is home to many parks. Some parks are designed for organized sports, some for more passive activities. Most of them are designed for Wellington’s human residents. That is, except the Wellington Dog Park. The Wellington Dog Park, located in Greenbriar Park at 2975 Greenbriar Blvd., near the intersection of Greenbriar Blvd. and Aero Club Drive, is a place where canine friends and their human companions come together for some much-needed recreation and socialization. “Wellington has always recognized the importance of our dogs,” Parks & Recreation Director Eric Juckett explained. “Our facility is divided into three sizes for large dogs, medium dogs and small dogs.” This division makes sure that little
ones aren’t endangered by their rambunctious big cousins, who may outweigh them exponentially. Since the facility opened more than 15 years ago, Dr. Marc Pinkwasser of the Courtyard Animal Hospital has been a key sponsor of the park, supporting both special events at the park and items needed for its general maintenance. Juckett noted that Pinkwasser sponsors the pit crew items that allow visitors to pick up all of their pet’s waste materials. Failure to “scoop the poop” is strictly forbidden. In fact, the park’s community of users work hard to selfpolice this policy and others that make the whole concept work. Pinkwasser tells patients of the importance of exercise for every stage of the dogs’ life and knows the value of getting out in an open space for that
Wellington’s maintenance team takes good care of keeping the dog park in top shape for families to enjoy. Shown here are Steven Loughey and Gabriel Jimenez.
exercise. He practices what he preaches with his two golden retrievers named Ella “Fly Me to the Moon” Fitzgerald and Satchmo “High Society”Armstrong. “Dr. Pinkwasser gives us a donation every year to help out,” Juckett said, adding that a team of dedicated maintenance staff cleans the facility daily to the highest premium condition residents would expect and utilizes regular pest control maintenance procedures. “We have a dedicated day each week on Thursdays when the park is closed in the morning until 3 p.m. to allow for a more extensive cleanup.” While the park is not a fully staffed recreation location, Wellington crews keep a close eye on the facility. wellington the magazine | august 2021
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