Incline Village district seeks dog park near animal shelter

The Village Green lot at Incline Village has been a temporary dog ​​park for residents since 2004.

Recently, the Incline Village General Improvement District applied to the US Forest Service for a special permit for a fenced and designated dog park on a parcel of land owned by the Forest Service’s Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. .

The 13-acre plot is across from the Pet Network Humane Society at 401 Village Blvd., Incline Village, making it a great place to walk the animals at the shelter. Pet Networks Development Director Hillary Abrams said the organization looks forward to the increased foot traffic this will bring to the shelter, with the dog park being so close.

“Ultimately, we hope to see an increase in the number of animals that will be adopted into the community, as a result of the new dog park.” she said.

General Manager Indra Winquest said that although they have already applied for a permit, it is still open to other plots of land within the community and everything is still in the conceptual stage.

Winquest said if all goes well, a new dog park could open within the next year and a half.

“We’re planning to build a nice dog park with outdoor hiking trails… a small toilet… a fence… a parking lot, that’s all.” said Winquest. “We’re not looking to build a giant structure there. We try to preserve the exterior beauty of this plot.

The need for a dog park was a top priority in the District Governing Board’s community master plan, created in 2018. Winquest believes a large part of the need stems from a multi-use conflict over Village Green.

“(The) Village Green should really be like a community lounge. There are a lot of uses on this property because we have kids playing soccer, we have lacrosse tournaments, we have community events… Our dog owners in the community should be able to bring their dogs somewhere to recreate itself. said Winquest.

Another concern raised was whether the designated dog park will be the only dog ​​park available after its construction. According to Winquest, the neighborhood currently allows residents to take their dogs to the ski beach only during the winter months. Winquest said the district would most likely continue to allow the use of the ski beach for owners to take their pets responsibly.

Elizabeth White is a writer for the Sierra Sun. She can be contacted at [email protected]