Saanich to experiment with pop-up dog parks this summer

Saanich will be hosting temporary dog parks at five regional parks this summer as part of a new pilot program.
The "pop-up dog parks" will welcome off-leash pets and will be surrounded by temporary fences.
Each dog park will be open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily for two weeks before the pop-up dog park is packed up and relocated to the next park. The entire program will run from June 29 to Sept. 8.
The five parks involved in the program, and the dates that they will be open, can be found below:
- Fowler Park | June 29 to July 12
- Hyacinth Park | July 13 to July 26
- Gorge Park | July 27 to Aug. 9
- Rudd Park | Aug. 10 to Aug. 23
- Cadboro-Gyro Park | Aug. 24 to Sept. 7
"We want our beautiful parks to be enjoyable and comfortable spaces for all users and we want to support responsible dog owners," said Judy Brownoff, Saanich councillor and chair of the Parks, Trails and Recreation Committee.
"Through the pop-up program, we’ll gather information that will be useful for our upcoming district-wide dog strategy."
The district says it will be collecting feedback from both dog owners and non-dog-owners during the pilot program, and will be checking to see if the dog park at Cadboro-Gyro Park will relieve pressure on pet crowding at the beach.
The municipality adds that extra garbage cans will be placed at the pop-up dog parks, and no parks will be setup on fields used for organized sports. Saanich staff will also be checking in on the dog parks regularly.
The pilot program has an operating budget of $30,000.
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