The Lafayette UUC congregation has many families with dogs. Several congregational dogs attended the last retreat and many also attended the recent "Dog Park for a Day" hosted by the Dog Park Association of Greater Lafayette. It was an enjoyable social event for dogs and people. The Dog Park Association has not yet decided on a location for its first park. It is likely to be many months before one is available for use.

The UUC's beautiful property on Union Street is underutilized. Construction plans have not yet been made and construction is unlikely to begin soon. The wooded and grassy areas would make a wonderful dog park.

We propose that the UUC Outdoor Group hosts a "dog playground" at the Union Street property as a regular and/or special event. A portion of the property would be temporarily confined using special fence designed for easy deployment and storage. The congregation would be encouraged to gather with their dogs. After the event, any necessary cleanup would be performed and the fence would be dismantled and stowed.

concerns

By limiting attendance to church members and friends, we hope to be able to avoid some of the problems which are regular concerns at public dog parks.

Although attendees would be responsible for any damages their dogs inflict, existing liability insurance should provide adequate coverage for the church.

While some dog parks severely restrict the presence of children, we hope to encourage family interaction. This should be a place where even families without dogs can gather to enjoy the fellowship and to have healthy interactions with dogs. To maintain a safe environment for both children and dogs, we will depend on attentive parents and dog guardians to communicate their needs, and for Outdoor Group representatives to coordinate a safe and positive setting.

issues

The following issues would need to be resolved with those who care for the property.

How do we decide where to locate the fence? It would be nice to make the front porch of the house part of the border.

Can the fence be stored on-site? Can other equipment (agility, water bowls, gates, etc.) be stored also?

More permanent but still temporary fencing that could be left standing would be much less expensive and would greatly reduce the setup effort required. Are there places such as along the street and lanes where we could leave fence erected so that it could also serve to protect children during other events?

We will need to get bags, bag dispensers and waste bins for cleanup. Can the waste bins be left for city waste haulers?

How should we schedule events so that we don't conflict with others?

Should neighbors be alerted/consulted about our plans?

Do we need signage and/or signed waivers to inform users of their responsibilities while using the grounds?

future

I'm tempted to mention some ideas for the future but I think that would be better handled as part of a discussion. I don't want these items to distract from the basic idea. I'll include them just so you know what I'm thinking.

The temporary fence would also be available for use at other locations such as the annual church retreat.

We could host public dog-oriented events like "Dog Park for a Day" as a community interaction. Perhaps we could even sponsor a UU-consistent positive/holistic/... dog training series? Dog massage?

A local therapy animal organization, Caring Paws, seeks a location to host a regular "open house" for community members to learn about volunteer opportunities in pet therapy. Making the Union Street grounds and house available for this activity would be a good way to become more visible in the community and to support an organization which is consistent with UU goals.