| JAWITP volunteers join with Boy Scout Troop 477 to Save Our Park |
 |
| The historic rainfall of 2009 showed dramatically the paths surface water takes, right through the center of the main seating area. |
|
|
 |
| These railroad ties were installed in July of 2008. They had already been pushed out of position BEFORE the historic rains of September 2009. |
|
|
 |
| When all that water reaches the back gates, it takes soil and wood chips with it. (Notice the water path that heads toward the bottom of the photo.) |
|
|
 |
| Here is where most of the washed-away park ends up. This pile is more than 3 ft. high. (This view is taken from the sidewalk as you re-enter the park from the creek.) |
|
|
 |
| Look at the left side of this photo to see how the wash-down pushes out the chain link and endangers our dogs' safety. |
|
|
|
 |
| First, volunteers dug numerous trenches to create erosion-controlling berms. |
|
|
 |
| Next, volunteers dragged, pushed, tugged, and shoved logs from around the park into the trenches. |
|
|
 |
| By the end of Day One, berms were in place and ready for the planting of monkey grass to slow erosion. |
|
|
 |
| JAWITP Secretary/Treasurer, Beth K., oversees the monkey grass planters. |
|
|
 |
| Adult volunteers with the Boy Scouts helped transport monkey grass donations across the park. Boy, that little tractor sure came in handy! |
|
|
 |
| Planting monkey grass can be back-breaking, as volunteers can attest. |
|
|
 |
| Meanwhile, JAWITP members worked to spread six tons of gravel. (Yes, that's our buddy, Steve-the-Fireman.) |
|
|
 |
| Before work was finished each day, there were dozens of visitors patiently waiting for the gates to be opened. |
|
|
 |
| Just minutes after the park was re-opened, both dogs and humans were enjoying the graveled seating areas. |
|
|
 |
| Pea gravel will not injure a dog's paws and will not float away or turn to mush in the rain! |
|
|
 |
| Monkey grass will also help control erosion. |
|
|
 |
| Project Leader and Eagle Scout candidate Trevor Alexander (in hard hat), discusses berm placement with volunteers. |
|
| THANK YOU TO ALL THE GOOD FOLKS
WHO GAVE UP SO MUCH OF THEIR TIME
AND WORKED SO HARD
IN SUPPORT OF THE DOG PARK!!
Park maintenance and renovations forced us to close the park for one day per weekend for four weekends! With only one exception over those four days, disappointed visitors were gracious and appreciative of our efforts.
- YOUR financial donations to JAWITP allowed us to purchase erosion cloth and seven tons of pea gravel to enhance the central seating areas where the dogs like to wrestle. Furthermore, your support has given us a much-needed tool shed and a garden cart so we can maintain the park more easily.
- YOUR donations of monkey grass allowed us to plant monkey grass at each berm and around the seating areas. In fact, we were able to create a monkey grass nursery to maintain supplies as needed.
- Thank you to all the JAWITP members and other dog park supporters who gave up portions of their weekends to perform heavy labor in the support of our well-loved dog park.
- We cannot thank enough the members of Boy Scout Troop 477 and the many Scout parents who pitched in. These were very hard-working, polite, and disciplined young men whose efforts and attitudes are excellent reflections on their parents and are a credit to their community and to the Boy Scouts of America.
- SPECIFICALLY, THANK YOU TO TREVOR ALEXANDER! Trevor is a member of Boy Scout Troop 477 whose desire to achieve Eagle Scout rank inspired him to create a project to benefit the dog park. It was not only a success but also a tremendous learning experience. Thank you, also, to Trevor's parents, Rob and Tracy, for their devotion to their son's goals and to the Boy Scouts of America. (And thank you, Tracy, for feeding us all each weekend!) We look forward to the announcement that Trevor has, in fact, achieved Eagle Scout rank.
|
| Dog Park Rules, Driving Directions, FAQ's, and Photos |
| DeKalb County Laws
Governing an Off-Leash Dog Park
- All use of the dog off-leash area is at your own risk.
- All dogs must wear a collar and ID tag with the owner's name and phone number.
- All dogs must be under the control of an adult handler (over the age of 18) at all times while in the off-leash area.
- All dogs must be properly licensed, must be healthy and have current vaccinations. (NOTE: A current rabies tag is required proof of vaccinations.)
- Aggressive dogs are not allowed.
- Please close all gates as you enter or exit the off-leash area.
- All dog waste must be removed; bags are provided.
- The dog off-leash area may be closed in times of inclement weather or for maintenance.
- NO FOOD, DRINKS, OR SMOKING will be allowed in the off-leash area.
In addition, as the managers of the dog park, JAWITP asks your cooperation in these matters:
- Please remove prong collars while your dog is inside the off-leash area.
- Do not bring in any wheeled conveyances, such as skates, skateboards, bicycles, etc. Strollers are also not advisable, as dogs can knock over a stroller easily.
- Children under the age of 12 must be closely supervised.
- Please note that we maintain different trash cans for different purposes:
- Just inside the two front entrances, under the poop bag dispensers, you will find lidded cans for poop bags.
- In the main seating area, behind the water station, there is a yellow, lidded can for recycling plastic water jugs.
- Also behind the main water station, there is a gray, lidded can for humans' trash.
- PLEASE observe the proper usage for each can. If visitors put their poop bags in the humans' trash can, the stench will drive us all out.
- Puppies must be at least 16 weeks old and have had all their shots before entering the park! Without the entire set of shots, a puppy is in danger of picking up all sorts of diseases, including worms, in a park. For the safety of your puppy, please be prepared to show a current rabies tag.
|
|
| DIRECTIONS to the OFF-LEASH DOG PARK |
The Off Leash Dog Area is located within The Liane Levetan Park at Brook Run, in the back of the property. The street address is 4770 N. Peachtree Rd., Dunwoody, GA.
- Enter from N. Peachtree and continue past the children's play area and skate park (on your right). Continue for about 1/4 of a mile.
- You will come to a STOP sign; straight ahead of you, the roof of a building is visible.
- Go through the STOP sign and turn into that building's parking lot.
Please be aware the dogs must be on-leash between your car and the park gates
and that you are responsible for picking up after your dog in the parking lot area
as well as the off-leash area.
CAUTION
After several close calls involving visitors to the children's park and the skate park, DeKalb Co. is cracking down on speeding on the roadway through the park. The posted speed limit is 15, and both Park Security and County police are watching the road more closely.
|
| Frequently Asked Questions About the Dog Park |
- HOW BIG IS THE DOG PARK ITSELF?
Our dog park is extremely popular; we have many visitors who travel long distances just to come here. The main reason is probably the sheer size of the park; we have (we think) close to 3 acres, fully wooded, and completely fenced with 6 ft. high chain link. This place is Disneyland for dogs. In addition, there are walking paths throughout. If you walk along the entire fence line, you will walk half a mile.
- ARE THERE WATER FOUNTAINS FOR DOGS OR HUMANS?
We do NOT have a water source for our dogs. Instead, we have large water buckets which are kept clean by volunteers on a weekly basis. One bucket is located in the main seating area; the other is up in the back of the park in the seating area known as Stan's Spot. By the way, there are no bathroom facilities or water fountains for humans within the dog park itself.
- HOW DO YOU MANAGE DOG POOP AND TRASH?
DeKalb Co. provides poop bags in dispensers just inside the two entrances. We also have special poop cans located adjacent to the dispensers. We also have trash cans for humans' trash as well as a recycling can for the many plastic water jugs visitors bring in. Volunteers take it upon themselves to empty any or all trash cans as needed. Replacement trash can liners may be found underneath the full bag being removed. Bags containing dog poop or human trash should be securely tied in a knot and taken out to the large trash cans in the parking lot, under the wooden Brook Run sign. Bags containing plastic jugs for recycling may be left beside the parking lot trash cans, and I will take those over to a recycling dumpster.
Volunteers gather once a month to walk through the entire acreage and pick up stray poop, dead tennis balls, and other trash. New visitors often comment on how clean and well-maintained this park is.
- WHAT ARE THE HOURS OF THE DOG PARK?
The entire Brook Run facility is open from sunrise to sunset, so those are the hours of the dog park, too. There is just enough lighting to allow evening visitors to exit safely when the sun goes down. When the lights come on, that is a signal to gather your dogs and begin heading out. The Security Guards do not typically drive back to the dog park to notify visitors that the park is closing; they know the park is used by adults who know and obey the rules.
- WHAT ELSE DOES THE PARK OFFER?
Last year, Atlanta magazine mentioned our park and stated that there is a creek available for the dogs to splash in. That is NOT TRUE. The creek is located outside our fence, and being off-leash outside the fence is illegal. (Yes, a lot of people take their dogs out there, but they do so at their own risk. The fine, if caught, is $280 per dog.) Furthermore, if dogs running loose outside the dog park fence cause annoyance to the residents adjacent to the park, the entire park could suffer. The park lost quite a bit of acreage soon after opening in 2006 because nearby homeowners complained about noise.
We are situated deep in the woods, so the tree canopy offers noticeable protection from the Summer heat as well as from mild rains.
- HOW DO I FIND THE PARK?
New visitors often have trouble finding the dog park. The entire Brook Run facility comprises 102 acres, and the dog park is toward the back of the property. There is no signage to tell visitors where to turn in to our parking lot. Specific directions can be found on our website.
- WHAT ABOUT BRINGING CHILDREN TO THE PARK?
Although children are not prohibited from entering the park, we do not allow strollers, skateboards, or any other wheeled vehicles or toys. Wheeled vehicles are not safe because of the old, cracked asphalt pathways. Furthermore, many dogs will instinctively chase fast-moving objects like small children on skates. Children must NOT be allowed to behave in ways that could excite or startle the dogs in the park. Remember, this is a dog park, not a children's park. All behaviors must focus on the dogs' well-being.
It is the responsibility of the adults to teach their children how to behave among a group of strange, off-leash dogs. Ill-behaved children have caused more trouble in the park than any of the dogs themselves. And food is absolutely NOT allowed in a park full of off-leash dogs: not human food, not dog treats, nothing edible! Having anything edible inside the dog park is like asking for a dog fight to start and will not be tolerated. We do not argue with folks who bring in coffee or bottled water because those are not likely to start a fight, but food is just out of the question. Some dogs have food aggression issues, and many have allergies and dietary issues. Some just want to find out what that good smell is, and jealousy alone can trigger a fight.
- WHAT CAN JAWITP DO FOR ME?
Among our most devoted members are two professional dog trainers who make themselves available to new dog owners or anyone desiring training advice or assistance. Just contact JAWITP for assistance.
|
PHOTO GALLERY
We'd love to post your photos from the dog park.
Just send them to info@brookrundogpark.com.
|
 |
| Maxey wants a playmate |
|
|
 |
| February's snow made the park a delight |
|
|
 |
| Benjy and Maxey look for their friends' names on the tribute plaques |
|
|
 |
| Ginger, Benjy, and Rufus |
|
|
 |
| The dog tribute plaques sure look good |
|
|
 |
| Rocky, Bodhi, and Smokey |
|
|
 |
| The main entrance to the dog park is up the hill behind the woman in green. |
|
|
 |
| The dog park is close to three acres, plenty of room for dogs to run and sniff. |
|
|
 |
| The main seating area has room for the dogs' humans to sit and logs for dogs to jump over. |
|
|
 |
| Within the fenced off-leash park are paved pathways and walking paths. If you walk the entire fence line, you will walk almost half a mile. |
|
|
 |
| Up in the back of the park is this quiet area known as Stan's Spot, named in honor of the donors. |
|
|
 |
| Onyx and Jade agree: Friends come in all sizes. |
|
|
 |
| Dogs, of course, don't need sidewalks or paths. (And thanks to Onyx for being our guide and to his mom, for the photos.) |
|
|
 |
| You cannot see the entire park from any one spot. Visitors are encouraged to explore and use all the acreage. |
|
|
 |
| Wednesday, March 4, 2009 |
|
|
 |
| Wednesday, March 4, 2009 |
|
|
 |
| Wednesday, March 4, 2009 |
|
|
 |
| Wednesday, March 4, 2009 |
|
|
|
