We want to thank you for your current and ongoing support, without you we could not do what we do and the community would not have these amazing parks. We have some upcoming events and a need for volunteers volunteer@dogpawoffleashparks.org so please check out what’s new (and old) below.
A Message From Our New President
Hello.
Let me introduce myself as DOGPAW's newly elected President. After retiring in 2019, my wife Paula, our two dogs - Dachshund/Terrier mix LilliBean,Maltese Priscilla, and our cat Sierra, decided to relocate here from St. Louis, MO. Since then, another cat, Bijou, decided to adopt us. We heard about Lucky Dog park from a neighbor and began visiting the park often. During one of the visits, I happened to meet Sally Jenkins, our past-president, who recently left the organization to get married and moved to the East Coast. As I got to know her and more about DOGPAW, I asked about volunteering and she suggested that I consider the Park Operations Director position. My background of construction, engineering, and facilities management seemed to fit, so I officially joined the Board in April 2021 as Director of Park Operations, a role that I will continue in for the time being until a replacement can be found.
As President, I am honored to have this opportunity to work with a knowledgeable, passionate, dog-loving Board of Directors, many who are new to the DOGPAW Board over the last few months.... Jan Fogg, Vice-President; Sharon Hargrave, Volunteer Director (who is also managing Membership); Paula, Business Sponsorship Director; Rob Mockley, Communications Director; and our longest serving Board Member, IT Director Les Uyeji (who is also managing our Finances).
The Board and I will be working on our plans, goals, and events for the remainder of this year, and for 2023. Look for more information forthcoming in our newsletters, our website, as well as our Facebook pages.
Questions, comments, suggestions, and ideas are welcome. Your input is valuable.
Marty Rutkovitz DOGPAW President and Director of Park Operations
Reminders
Don’t keep your valuables in the car! It takes less than a minute for someone to come by, smash your window, and steal your things. Don’t give them that chance by not leaving anything of value in the car and warning fellow park goers.
Let people know about DOGPAW! Your memberships and donations help us maintain our dog parks. Your money pays for all of the poop bags and waste disposals. We spend about $10,000 in poop bags and removal every year. By supporting us, we can keep the parks clean and can bring fun and educational events to the community. Please Donate HERE.
Do you have free time and a wealth of knowledge and know-how? We are looking for a few board members to join the rank. Available positions: Fundraising, Membership, Secretary, Treasurer, and Animal Welfare. Contact ask@dogparoffleashparks.org for our job descriptions! Remember, we are an all volunteer board.
Events
Our first Trainer in the Park session at Dakota Dog Park went amazingly and we received so many positive feedback from the community. Julie from Paws Down Pets taught park goers how to improve recall with their dogs by teaching Touch. She also gave great tips to help owners recognize their dogs’ body language.
Julie will be at Dakota Dog Park again on September 7th and October 5th from 3-6pm. Stop by and say hi!
We are getting back into gear post-pandemic and we plan on bringing more event to you! Our Dog Supply Swap was a huge success and we’re already getting requests to do another. Special thanks to our amazing volunteer team at Dakota Dog Park for helping with the donation box, spreading the words, and working the tables!
Safety Tips! *VERY IMPORTANT*
It’s foxtail season!
Foxtail plants is a grass-like weed that has barbed seed heads that are pesky and dangerous for dogs. The barbed head can get embedded between your dog’s paws or skin. If ingested, it can get into their nose, brain, lung, etc.
Foxtails can cause discharge, abscess, swelling, pain, and death.
How to Prevent Foxtail issues.
Know how to recognize foxtail and avoid it on walks and fields.
Check your dog’s fur (especially if they have a long coat!), face, ears, and paws.
Remove foxtail with tweezer if you can. If you can’t, call your vet.
Avoid the overgrown grassy areas.
You can also help us by getting rid of foxtail when you see them in the park. The county lacks the resources to act quickly and we try our best to get rid of it but we would greatly appreciate your help if you can help us pull it throw and get rid of it in the trash!
It looks like we have a scorcher this summer and as much as we all love the outdoor, the heat can be a risk for dogs. They are at risk of tick exposure, sunburn, and heatstroke. Be vigilant and recognize when your dog is uncomfortable.
Keep your dog inside or give them plenty of shady spots to hang out in the yard.
Don’t leave your dog in the car on a hot day.
Provide PLENTY of fresh water.
Walk your dog in the morning or evening and avoid exercising on extremely hot days.
Asphalt and sand can burn your dogs’ paws. If it’s too hot for your bare hands, it’s too hot for them! Simply touch the pavement with the back of your hand for nine seconds. If you can't hold out for the full nine seconds because the surface is too hot, then it's also too hot for your dog's paws.
Something is a-brewing and dogs maybe a-howlin’! This year we will be doing a Halloween event (which may or may not have a dog costume contest. Oh, who are we kidding? We are 100% doing a dog costume contest!). It takes a lot of work to put on something like fun and we could use your help! Contact volunteer@dogpawoffleashparks.org to be on the volunteer committee.
Big thanks to our donors for sticking with us. As a sign of appreciation, our top 50 donors will get a special treat at Christmas time! Will you make Santa Paw’s special list?
Next volunteer opportunity
Dakota Park Improvement on August 13th. Park Improvement day starts at 10am and goes until we're done, usually for 2-4 hours. We pick up poop, fill holes, trim trees and bushes, get rid of foxtails, lay out gravel. It's a show up and grab a volunteer vest type of event.
Hello all DOGPAW Supporters, Dog Park Goers and Clark County Dog Lovers!
We are asking you to join us- to step up and volunteer...because... DOGPAW Needs Your Help @ Dakota (Pacific) Park Improvement Day 1515 NE 172nd Ave., Vancouver, WA 98684 Saturday, August 13, 2022 starting @ 10 a.m. What's needed and What you may be doing:
If You CAN, please bring gloves, pruning tools, weed whacker, etc., as we may be doing pruning, limb and bush trimming (including blackberry vines), filling holes with dirt, and poop pickup. Dress for the weather and please bring water. Sign In at the Volunteer Table - (Look for the green DOGPAW flags)
Questions? volunteer@dogpawoffleashparks.org Yes, you can bring your pet(s)-but they still need caretaking even though we're busy tidying up the park.
Park Operations Update
Always things going on and things to get done at all of our parks:
Dakota (Pacific) - the recent Dog Training info sessions by Julie of Paws Down Training last month was well attended. Lots of questions answered, tips and tricks provided. More sessions coming September and October. Another event held was our first annual Dog Supply Swap Meet. Donation boxes throughout Clark County collected a large number of "gently used and new leashes, collars, beds, crates, some outdoor homes, clothing, and many other items that were put out for the taking..... yes, everything was Free! More events such as this will be planned in future at other parks as well.
Ike (Ross) - Had a successful Park Improvement Day last month that was helped by a number of volunteers picking up poop, filling holes, trimming bushes and tree limbs on the upper level that were close to the ground, creating more shady rest spots for our dogs. Check out the new safer walking path with less incline, starting just inside the lower level main gate, to the upper level. This is to replace the current one that is rutted, steep, and difficult to use. We will let that one grow grass and may seed it as well. Something Ike park goers have been asking for. Kudos to park manager Eddie Dorr and friends for initiating that project and putting many hours in himself. The upper level fencing project is still on hold pending environmental approval from BPA (Bonneville Power Authority). Hope to get that soon so we can schedule our fencing contractor. And thank you to all of you who have and have continued to donate to the Ike Fencing Fund. We still have the entire lower level to replace yet. Also on the radar is water line for the upper level. For those that may not know, IKE is the only park managed by DOGPAW that is owned by the City of Vancouver in conjunction with BPA. All others are County owned.
Kane (Hockinson) - Welcome to Gwendolyn Koszalka, local park goer who has volunteered to be the Park Manager there. While tucked away at Hockinson Community Park, Kane is the smallest of our parks, it is also has the most shade tree coverage of our parks, and continues to get many visitors and their dogs during these hot summer days. Kane also is on the project list to get a water line.
Lucky (Minkler) - Always active and crowded, one of the main issues is the walking paths, which has over the years has become uneven, narrowed, and eroded in many places. Underlying weed control cloth has also come to the surface that may be trip hazard as well. We have been working with County Parks Maintenance on a solution that appears to be approved to do before next rainy season and will communicate that soon as it is ok'd. Lucky will have its Park Improvement Day on Saturday, September 10th. Look for information late August early September.
Dakota Park Dog Supply Swap
We had a lot of curious shoppers come to try out toys and treats. We had a lot of fun talking to the park goers and got some new members. And we had plenty of supplies leftover to take to Humane Society of Southwest Washington!
Congratulations to Tom Wilder to winning our new member raffle! The raffle prize is a Welcome Home Puppy box from our sponsor, Just Your Fur Baby, which is a perfect coincidence as Tom just picked up his new puppy and future Dakota attendee!
Volunteers shout out
Jesse helped us fix one of Ike’s gate by replacing a rusted bar. Amazing work, Jesse!
Deni repainted our event sign and made it look like new again after so many years of our adorable doggies lifting their legs in salute to it. Beautiful job Deni.
Board members getting volunteers to sign up to help
Eddie, Ike park ambassador (left), and Brian, owner of Pets After Life (right) laying down a new track to go to Ike's upper park. Previously this hill was steep and a bit dangerous so we made a new path with dirt and gravel.
Marty (President) and Anouchka, Ike park regular and volunteer talking shop.
Volunteers Brian and Kristi weed-whacked the entire park.
Paula signing up new members
Barry and Teresa worked hard at cleaning stray poop and branches. Percy (dog) contributing to the poop pile.
If you made it this far we want to thank you again for your support and catching up with us on how we are trying to improve the lives of the residents and pets of Clark County.
DOGPAW OFF-LEASH DOG PARK LOCATIONS: Dakota: 1515 N.E. 164th Ave. Vancouver, WA Ike (Ross): 5167 N.E. 15th Ave. Vancouver, WA Kane: 10910 N.E. 172nd Ave. Vancouver, WA Lucky: 10100 N.E. 149th St. Brush Prairie, WA
