Cranberry dog park ready to open

The long-awaited Cranberry dog park is set to open this week. Here are some details from the Post-Gazette from yesterday:

The grand opening of the Rotary Dog Park, just off Route 19 on a 4-acre site adjacent to the township's Community Park, is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The dog park will be double gated so dogs can't get out when another enters. It will contain one area for small dogs and two areas for larger dogs to romp and play unleashed. The two larger areas will be used on a rotation to give grass time to grow and recover from use.

A new 60-space parking lot was built so dog owners won't have to take their pets through Community Park.

[Park organizer Liz] Wiegand said there has been talk of building an obstacle course in the park for puppies and the volunteer group hopes to hold several fund raisers each year to help pay for upkeep.

The group's first big event planned after the grand opening will happen in October, Ms. Wiegand said.

Doggie-Palooza will be a chance for vendors of dog products to show off their wares while dog owners can gather at the park to enjoy a day of socializing and fun, Ms. Wiegand said.

Now that the park is built, it's up to the community to take care of it, she said.

While there will be receptacles for dog waste, the park will not be monitored and visitors will be expected to clean up after their own pets.