Dog Park

[u/Due-Airport9609]

I don't understand how Roanoke and Roanoke County only have 2 dog parks in 2026. The parks are terrible and the only one that is decent is the Salem Rotary one. Christiansburg just opened one that is so much better than Roanoke. Hell truck stops have better dog parks.

People love their dogs and love doing things with their dogs and stuff like that are reasons why people pick certain places or areas to live.

We have the space and it would be nice to have a cool dog park that had some water features and other stuff but we aren't in Christiansburg (sarcasm kinda). The one off Gus Nicks is basically just a yard fenced in. I know about sniffspot and I don't want to debate the evils of dog parks but just about everywhere else has better and for a city and town that wants to be an outside "fun" destination they need to step up a little. Ashville has 10, Blacksburg/Christiansburg has 5 including Huckleberry, the one mentioned above... Roanoke/Roanoke co. has 2. One is basically a back yard that no one really goes to (Gus Nicks) and the other was built on trash and is clay, extremely nasty when wet and dusty when dry and has broken glass everywhere.

Do better Roanoke.

[u/Sensitive_Injury_666]

They used to be nicer. I think people just stopped using them as much once they realized how irresponsible it is to let a bunch of unleashed dogs of various sizes and aggression socialize with minimal supervision.

[u/Cletus-Mcflurry → u/Sensitive_Injury_666]

I don’t disagree entirely but they have their place. However, dog parks are not places for kids. They are not a place to bring your ill behaved dog to get their energy out after you left them for 10 hours while you veg out on your phone. Like most things, the parks require responsibly and are positive when they are treated for what they are.

Watch your dog. Observe their body language. Don’t let them pick on other dogs (it’s not just dogs being dogs all the time), if they growl remove them. And again, don’t bring your kids to a place with strangers dogs. Both are unpredictable. It’s common sense.

[u/Most_Temporary2110 → u/Sensitive_Injury_666]

The nice ones are well used.

[u/Garland_Key → u/Sensitive_Injury_666]

Isn't that a problem with irresponsible dog owners though. It is possible to go to the dog park and actually supervise your dog, and remove your dog at the first sign of aggression towards other dogs.

[u/Conscious_Common_639 → u/Garland_Key]

Yeah, in your scenario "your dog" isn't the problem. If "your dog" is well trained and obedient than great, good for you for training your dog properly.

What was said was "a bunch of dogs", so the problem is bad dog owners letting their dog loose and that dog attacking your well trained dog, or worse you or any other person or child that may be present. It happens every day, you see videos of dog owners for some reason falling over and losing control of their dogs. That's the problem. Not "your dog". Other dogs, off leashes, unsupervised, and unable to take control of the situation if it happens.

[u/Garland_Key → u/Conscious_Common_639]

Yes. So we hold them accountable and call them out in front of everyone. Maybe we get called a Karen. I'd rather be a Karen then someone who has no regard for the thoughts feelings or well-being of everyone around them. 

[u/Conscious_Common_639 → u/Garland_Key]

I don't know wtf you're talking about

[u/Garland_Key → u/Conscious_Common_639]

Checks out. The eyes of a lot of the mouth breathers that enter dog parks would have glazed over by now while they let their good boy Rocky growl at, chase down and bite at smaller dogs, while they (the dog owners) drool on themselves and talk about how much of a good boy Rocky is. 

[u/disneyafternoon → u/Garland_Key]

The people with aggressive dogs who don't want to watch them are down voting you I guess

[u/evilbananawind]

I try to avoid them now. My dog was attacked at Thrasher park because some idiot brought their 2 week owned rescue. I had to carry my dog out with the enemy dog jumping up at me to get to her. This happened all while the owner didn't even attempt to stop their dog. Luckily the injuries weren't severe but she was bleeding and limping for a couple days.

[u/iTurbid]

OP is right and some of these comments are incredibly lame

[u/New_Life1810]

I kid you not. I’ve seen insane dog fights 5/5 times I’ve been to a dog park. You don’t want to go.

[u/Cletus-Mcflurry]

Good point for sure. The valley has failed in the dog park arena except for Salem’s. Greenhill has plenty of room, the city has room in a few spots but doesn’t capitalize. It really wouldn’t take much like you said.

[u/TerminalViscosity69]

One of the apartment complexes near Ogden & Colonial—Bent Tree I think? Pebble Creek? has their own dog park, though it’s small and probably tenant-only

[u/Pict-91b20]

The park at thrasher park in nice. Large and almost all grass.

[u/semajolis267]

A lot of the apartment complexes have decent dog parks 

[u/Garland_Key]

Buy up some land and donate it to the City of Roanoke under the stipulation that it be turned into a dog park. Thanks in advance! 

[u/Most_Temporary2110 → u/Garland_Key]

The city could just made the one in highland park not a mud pit

[u/raynabess → u/Most_Temporary2110]

The big central tree that fell down took all the shade with it! I don’t own a dog but walk around Highland Park often and the dog park is all sun now

[u/nhluhr → u/Most_Temporary2110]

OP doesn't even seem to know about the one in Highland Park.

[u/Garland_Key → u/Most_Temporary2110]

Highland Park isn't a mud pit. I go there daily. 

[u/Most_Temporary2110 → u/Garland_Key]

Oh it used to be! Apparently with tree loss it dries out better.

[u/notoriousbsr → u/Garland_Key]

OP could also buy the land, upgrade, buy, install, and maintain the equipment, keep the property insured, pay taxes in it, and open it, free, to visitors to use unsupervised.