Dog park good as long as the rules are followed

The Vandalia Park District has teamed up with Second Chance Animal Rescue to provide a nice benefit to our community – a dog park.
The south end of Madison Street Park is now a fenced-in area where local residents can take their dogs for fun and exercise.
Dog parks have proven to be well-received and well-used in other communities, and, hopefully, the same will be true in Vandalia. From comments made in recent months, many are looking forward to take advantage of the park.
But, factors in the future success of the park include following the park rules and common courtesy.
The park rules, as clearly stated at the entrance, include: picking up dog waste, keeping the park gate closed; not taking food and glass containers in the park;  not taking dogs in heat; and supervising dogs at all times.
At the same time, we ask that people who use the park remember that it is in a residential area.
Residents of that area have expressed concerns about the dog park, including traffic flow and dogs running loose before and after using the park.
With that in mind, we hope that people using the park travel only north in the one-way alley next to the park (as required by city ordinance), use proper parking areas and keep their dogs on leashes when outside the park.
By simply being courteous and following the rules, dog lovers can make The Bark Park a great thing in our community.
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