Dogs, owners enjoy opening weekend at new park

By her second trip to Dog Town Playground, Delilah already knew where she was, and she couldn't wait to get out of the car.

"She was excited to pull up. She'd already figured it out," her owner, Kristi Watts, said as she watched the 16-week-old Labrador mix roll in the grass Sunday afternoon at Cape Girardeau's new dog park.

On Saturday -- opening day for the off-leash facility at Kiwanis Park -- Delilah played so hard she wore herself out, Watts said.

"She put herself to bed," she said.

Delilah was one of about two dozen dogs bouncing around in the sunshine Sunday afternoon as their owners looked on.

Julie Grueneberg watches her miniature schnauzer, Woody, go through a concrete tube on opening day at Dog Town Playground, Saturday, Nov. 9, 2013 at Kiwanis Park in Cape Girardeau. Two fenced areas, for large and small dogs, may be used between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. More pictures are in a gallery at semissourian.com. (Fred Lynch)

Brittany Rohling, a Southeast Missouri State University student from Kansas, brought her 3-year-old Keeshond, Hunter, out to play Saturday and Sunday.

"He doesn't get out much," Rohling said of the fluffy, gray dog. "He doesn't get to play with others, so he's pretty excited. ... He's like a kid you drop off at school, and he just takes off and says, 'Bye, Mom!'"

Hunter had been for plenty of walks at Kiwanis Park, but Dog Town was a new and long-anticipated experience, Rohling said.

"Ever since it started, we've been coming by almost every day to see how it's coming," she said.

The one-acre off-leash park, funded by revenue from Isle Casino Cape Girardeau, features amenities such as watering stations, tunnels for dogs to walk through and separate areas for large and small dogs.

Dogs must be at least 4 months old and fully vaccinated to use the park, and parents must accompany children under 12, according to a news release from the city.

Dog Town was a study in canine diversity Sunday. A leggy viszla with a sleek red coat bounded around the big-dog area, mingling with mutts, Labradors and even a shiba inu -- a small Asian breed with reddish fur and a curly tail.

Two-year-old Ruby, a Pembroke Welsh corgi, and 11-year-old Rain, a blind mutt, were exhausted after a good romp.

Ruby had already been to the park twice, but Rain was making her first trip, their owner, Michele Peters, said.

Peters said Rain, who lost her eyes to glaucoma, adjusted well to the new surroundings.

Peters' daughter Emily, 11, said Ruby enjoyed the chance to stretch her legs.

"Ruby just had a good time. She loves to run," Emily Peters said. "She runs a lot here. It's her paradise."

Otis, a 6-year-old Scottish terrier, gave the park a thorough inspection before he settled in to play, his owner said.

"He will sniff the whole perimeter before he'll pay attention to any dogs or any people," Jessica Kee said.

As an apartment-dweller, Otis doesn't get many chances to play off-leash, Kee said.

"We live in a town house, so this is the first time he's ever been really free," she said.

Joe Golightly drove from Jackson with his 7-year-old schipperke, Obie.

The little black dog eyed the other dogs from the safety of Golightly's arms.

Sunday was Obie's first trip to the park, but Golightly's other dog, Pixie, a 4-year-old Siberian husky, was already on her second visit after getting a lesson in canine etiquette Saturday.

"She's loving it," Golightly said. "She was playing with the other dogs yesterday, but she was getting a little vocal, and they didn't want to play."

epriddy@semissourian.com

388-3642

Pertinent address:

Kiwanis Park, Cape Girardeau, Mo.