Bend Parks and Recreation had to close the Riverbend Beach for Dogs recently due to erosion of the area where the dogs happily (and for the first time in many years) were allowed to legally enjoy the river within the city limits. The dog beach is located near the park District new headquarters on the Deschutes River.
My two dogs couldn’t figure out why we passed up the river for the dog park instead of being allowed to race each other for the Frisbee in the river.
So a big thanks goes to William Smith Properties (who own the land near the river) and Bend Parks & Rec for their innovation and quick reaction to the erosion problem. The beach has been opened again and the genius behind the design should be congratulated for making it once again a place for dogs and their owners to enjoy the river.
Now comes a new challenge: residents across the river are complaining about the dog park. Pahlisch Homes has suggested that they are unable to close a sale on one of the units across the way due to the noise from the dog beach. They are also suggesting that the Park District did not go through the proper permit process before opening the dog park.
This comes as a surprise to most, as the park has been open for over a year with no complaints while making hundreds of dogs and their owners happy for the river access.
We hope that people who choose to live next to public parks and open space can adjust to people (and dogs) using the river.
And this reminder to dog owners comes from DogPAC: The less we disturb other users and park neighbors, the stronger our case for access. The periodic “woof” is normal for many dogs, and these are areas for play, not for listening to the symphony. The issue here is the occasional dog that engages in excessive or continuous barking.
Be considerate, and ask fellow dog guardians to be considerate. If your dog is barking excessively where it can bother people, please remove it and talk to a trainer about addressing the behavior.If other dogs are barking excessively, ask their owners to be considerate and remove the dogs. PHA
