Carole Osterink, long-term dog park proponent and author of The Gossips Of Rivertown
Hudson, NY – The “Friendly City” is also the “Dog-Friendly City”! The City of Hudson’s Dog Park located at the bottom of the hill on North 2nd and Mill Street. The City’s Dog Park took YEARS to establish, multiple fund raisers, and a handful of dedicated, dog-loving volunteers and mayors.
The idea for a dog park started over a decade ago, but it was not until the former mayor, Tiffany Martin and the group, Hudson Forward, started a gofundme account that the idea got much traction. The fund raised several thousand dollars and the park was initially proposed on Mill Street, next to Charles Williams Park. However, the residents of Mill Street were not very pleased with the location.
Former Mayor Rick Rector says, “The idea of a dog park had been a long time goal of many members of the community, however, it had become highly politicized and contentious and a plan was voted down right before becoming mayor. I realized that all the great efforts and work by Mayor Martin needed to be revisited and shared with the entire city via a community meeting that discussed the history and a review of three possible locations that had either been previously discussed or reevaluated.
By engaging the community in this process, the project became easier as there was greater understanding. Thanks to the help of Rob Perry from DPW and the tenacity and hard work of Carole Osterink and others associated the with the project, we were able to effectively bring a community vetted and approved plan to the Common Council for their review and ultimate approval.”
The former Foster plant site, where the dog park currently sits, is a remediated “brown site”, and by NYS Department of Environmental Conservation’s definition could only be a few things, including a dog park and a parking lot.
Carole Osterink, author of the Gossips of Rivertown, and others realized that the fence surrounding the dog park would require more funds than were in the initial gofundme account. A second account was set up HERE (that still accepts donations – hint, hint). It is through this account that the dog park is maintained – including the cost of new (earth-friendly) poop bags. A big thank you to the Mrs. Green Thumbs Hedge Fund which generously contributed $1,400. Rob Perry, supervisor of the City of Hudson’s Department of Public Works, and his department, assist in maintaining the lawn and trash cans at the City’s dog park.
The City of Hudson’s Dog Park is a great, expansive, place for dogs to run leash-free. There’s two separate parks – a large and a small dog park. The City of Hudson’s Dog Park – where both dogs and their humans can meet and socialize.
Hudson’s Dog Park is open from dawn to dusk, to residents and visitors alike.
For more information, visit the Hudson Dog Park’s website, HERE.
