So sad to see one of our favorite places, the dog park at Tioga and Desert Vista, literally “going to the dogs.”

This was once a great spot to take our dogs to run and play and socialize with other dogs. It was nice for humans, too, as we met several friends while at the park with our dogs and enjoyed socializing while watching our dogs play together.

Regretfully, responsible dog owners can no longer comfortably visit the park due to lack of rule enforcement. One dog became infected by another sick dog (owner did not bother to pick up their dog’s diarrhea) to the tune of a $1,500 vet bill. Dogs not neutered or spayed are brought to the park. Over-aggressive dogs continually attack other dogs, and the owners don’t control their dogs. Belligerent owners dispute their ill-mannered dog when confronted by other dog owners.

I have observed owners continually on their phones, conducting personal business while not keeping a watchful eye on their dog. Owners use the pagodas as a smoking room and do not watch their dog. There is no adherence to, nor enforcement of, the dog park rules.

It’s too bad that responsible owners who abide by the rules and are diligent about watching their dogs, including picking up after them, are being driven away from what was once a great dog venue. Veterinarians do not even recommend owners take their dogs to the park.

Perhaps a solution would be to issue permits for use. Maybe if it wasn’t free, there would be better control over who uses it and it wouldn’t be subject to such abuse as stated above. It would be a shame to lose this once valuable asset in Fountain Hills, a very dog-friendly town.