Owners want a park for dogs.

Byline: Elaine Thompson

NORTHBORO - A group of dog owners has asked the Board of Selectmen and Dog Officer Claudia McGuire to help them find a location that can be used as a dog park.

About 20 members of an eight-year-old local group called People Who Play With Puppies met with selectmen and Ms. McGuire Monday night. The dog owners have been taking their pets to the former Northboro Fish and Game property at 119 Colburn Road to socialize and run untethered, which is in violation of the leash law because the property is town-owned.

The town bought the property in 2002 for open space and recreation. It is now designated for construction of a new senior center. Some people use the property to access a trail that leads up to Mt. Pisgah.

Town Administrator Barry M. Brenner said last summer there were some altercations on the trail between dogs that weren't leashed that resulted in injuries to some of the animals. No pets of PWPWP members were involved, he said. As a result of the incident, a few weeks ago, Ms. McGuire posted the leash law on the property, requiring all dogs on public land to be on leashes at all times.

PWPWP members became concerned with they saw the signs and decided to meet with selectmen and Ms. McGuire.

"They realize that once construction of the senior center starts, the property will be fenced off. Until that time, they wanted to express their interest and position that there is a need for areas for dogs in the town. They are suggesting a dog park," Mr. Brenner said yesterday. He said Ms. McGuire is going to work with representatives of the group "to see if there might be some area that might lend itself to that."

Mr. Brenner said the group will look to the former skate park project as kind of a model for this project. Several years ago, a group of youths and their parents worked with the Recreation Department to make it happen. The group of residents did the fundraising and design work for the park that was eventually built in Ellsworth-McAfee Park on South Street.

"These folks (PWPWP) are willing to roll up their sleeves and do some work and come back to the Board of Selectmen at some point," Mr. Brenner said.

Town Clerk Andrew Dowd said the number of registered dogs in town increases each year. There are about 1,800 this year, up from 1,600 five years ago.

NAME: NORTHBORO SELECTMEN