Sign up for TPR Today, Texas Public Radio's newsletter that brings our top stories to your inbox each morning.
The number of city dog parks in San Antonio has come off the leash since the first one opened in 2005 at Pearsall Park on the Southwest Side. Today, there are 21 city dog parks. And neighborhoods and city officials want more.
Fenced-in city dog parks are great spots for dogs to run free and playfully scuffle with other dogs as their owners look on.
The city’s newest dog park opened this summer in the Beacon Hill neighborhood, between Rosewood and Lullwood, north of downtown. The ribbon-cutting drew residents and city officials.
Neighborhood resident Benjamin Coronado was among those at the ribbon cutting. He brought his Doberman pinscher, Xena, named for TV's "Warrior Princess." He said he likes the freedom and protection the fenced-in parks offer owners and their dogs.
"The opportunity to let them go, that's kind of important to us. It allows us to not have to keep them on that leash. I think we all know that leash tension, that leash tension is a real thing, especially when you meet other people on your walk or in the park."
Coronado said the dog park adds character and value to the neighborhood and improves quality of life. Given the city’s stray dog problem, he said fenced-in dog parks also feel safer than walking on a sidewalk, where owners and their pets could encounter a stray.
He also likes the amenities, including shade trees and structures, disposable waste bags and water fountains for both people and dogs.
Jerry Lockey is a member of the Beacon Hill Neighborhood Association and co-chair of its linear park committee. He says the dog park is a great addition to the linear park that runs through Beacon Hill.
He said the dog park is built on top of space that would otherwise have gone unused.
"That is all storm drain underneath this, so no one can build any houses ... over the storm drain. And so, a little before 2007, we drew up a plan, (and asked,) 'why don't we have a linear park?' And we have become the first linear park in San Antonio."
San Antonio’s growth reflects a broader national trend. The Trust for Public Land says off-leash dog parks grew by nearly 90% in the nation’s largest cities between 2007 and 2015, making them the fastest-growing feature of urban park systems.
Tony Forshage, the city's capital programs assistant manager, said the city needs to find the right locations for dog parks. He said they generally need at least a quarter- to half-acre to give dogs room to run and fetch.
Forshage said dog parks have become an established part of parks planning nationwide.
"I would say they represent less of a hottest trend than an established staple amenity that is now commonly expected, especially in our large, our regional parks. Again, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association, 56 million American households own 87 million dogs."
San Antonio Parks and Recreation Director Homer Garcia III said the city expects to add more dog parks through future voter-approved bond projects.
"What we see is a demand for connecting the community and celebrating their furry families together, right? We think of playgrounds a lot, where families can bring their kids out, but we also have a growing pet community and family, and so these present great opportunities and spaces for everyone to connect."
"Connection" and "community" are words Texas Public Radio heard a lot at the city’s newest dog park.
District 1 San Antonio City Councilwoman Sukh Kaur brought her dog Hera, which means “diamond” in Punjabi, to the Beacon Hill Dog Park opening.
"I think dog parks are a great way to bring community together. We are a community that loves our pets. It's an asset to this neighborhood, where the dogs can come out and play freely, while the community gets to enjoy it together," she said.
And as San Antonio continues to grow, so will the need for more places where dogs can run free.
