Dog park good for tourists

Whitefish is tourist town; it is crucial to our economy. We have thousands of visitors here every year, and many hundreds (maybe thousands) of dogs come with them. Wouldn't it be great to point visitors to a safe and welcome place for them to walk and play with their dog?

One of the first questions we ask when visiting a town is, "Where can we walk our dog? Is there a dog park?" Being owned by a dog has its advantages and drawbacks. Undying loyalty and devotion from our furry family member means that we have an obligation to find him a place to run and stretch his legs, especially when we take him on a trip in the car.

Dog parks are the best place to do this, especially if we are tourists in a town and don't know the local hangouts for dog walking. We know that if we go to a local dog park that we can safely let our dog off leash in a fenced area. We know that our dog will have a chance to make the rounds of communicating (while leaving a few new messages) and have a chance to run without fear that he will be getting into someone's property, or chasing deer, or especially chase after someone's cat.

Dogs need exercise and let's face it, there is no greater joy than watching a dog run just for the fun of it.

We have visited dog parks all over the northwest. We usually try stay in a motel near the dog park because it means we can walk our pal to his playground, spend an hour or so in the fresh air with him, and all of us return to our room refreshed.

Yes, we do have lots of open lands around Whitefish. But once spring arrives and the bears start waking up, the last place I want to take my dog is on a walk in the forest, even on a leash. And remember that dogs are pretty much unwelcome to walk in Glacier National Park, anytime of the year.

So let's give 'em a chance to enjoy some Montana fresh air, other than from the window of a car. Please help support the Whitefish dog park.

Marti Kurth

Whitefish