Canine lovers ask for city dog park

City Council hesitant to move forward due to current budget problems

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Clovis resident Renee Latour is tired of driving to west Fresno so her puppy Clementine can run without a leash.

The active English pointer gets out her wiggles and socializes with other dogs at El Capitan Dog Basin near Shaw and Brawley avenues. Latour wishes there was a dog park closer to home.

"We live in an apartment and without having a yard, we're stuck with walking around the neighborhood or on bike trails where we still can't really let her run," Latour said.

Latour and other dog owners visited a recent City Council meeting to ask for a Clovis dog park. The group suggested a ponding basin on Villa Avenue near Letterman Park and offered to donate labor and materials for the construction of a park. They also offered to provide upkeep services such as picking up litter and feces.

Council members were hesitant to immediately approve the park because of budget problems. The city must trim nearly $1 million by July because of sluggish sales tax and a drop in development, and are anticipating further cuts in the next fiscal year.

"In the situation we're in now where we have to tighten up, shore up, is this wise?" Council Member Harry Armstrong asked. "We're going through some trying times right now."

Karen Elliott, a member of FIDO (Fresno Innovative Dog Owners), said her group of local dog lovers helped construct the El Capitan Dog Basin and the dog park in Woodward Park. FIDO would do so again with the Clovis park, taking on much of the construction costs, she said.

"This has become part of civilized living," Elliott said. "Dogs needs to be socialized. Dogs need to be exercised and not with me being dragged behind by a leash."

Council members directed city staff to consider a dog park during budget discussions for the 2008-09 fiscal year, which begins in July.

"Money is stretched fairly thin and it would be imprudent to start this now," Council Member Jose Flores said.

E-mail Gabriel Alexander at galexander@clovisindependent.com.