The following rules apply to Westgrove Dog Park and to all Fairfax County Park Authority off-leash dog areas, sourced from https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/rules/dog-park:
The following are prohibited in off-leash dog areas:
Other rules that apply to dog parks:
- Dogs barking incessantly.
- Food (includes treats, bones and edible toys) and glass containers.
- Dogs under four months of age.
- Female dogs in heat.
- Animals other than dogs.
- Children under the age of 9 yrs old.
- Professional training of dogs.
Other rules that apply to dog parks:
- Users of the facility do so at their own risk.
- Aggressive dogs (defined as dogs posing a threat to human beings or other dogs) are not allowed at any time. Dogs must be removed from the off-leash dog area at the first sign of aggression.
- All dogs must be legally licensed and vaccinated, and shall wear a visible dog license and have vaccination documents available upon request.
- The off-leash dog area is for dogs, their handlers and those accompanying them only.
- Dogs must be on leash when entering and exiting the off-leash dog area.
- Dogs must be under the control of their handler and in view of their handler at all times.
- Handlers must be 16 years or older.
- Handlers must have possession of the dog leash at all times.
- Handlers are limited to a maximum of two dogs.
- Handlers are responsible for removal and disposal of waste (dog poop).
- Handlers must prevent dogs from digging holes and are responsible for filling them.
Please don't bring pools into the park.
We know the weather gets hot and we know that some dogs love to splash in cool water on hot days. We understand why people want to bring those plastic wading pools to the park. Unfortunately, the pools are causing problems.
We've had reports of dogs who use the park coming down with Giardia, an intestinal parasite that thrives in dirty water which can infect dogs and humans. Giardia can get into the pool if dogs have fecal matter on their paws. If the dogs drink the infected water, they can get sick. Symptoms of Giardia include diarrhea that can last for several weeks.
Westgrove P.A.C.K. is taking a number of steps to deal with this problem.
1. Communicating to park users about the importance of keeping water bowls clean, picking up poop, and not bringing pools.
2. Removing and disposing of pools that are left in the park.
3. Long-term, we hope to install a safe and healthy water play area for the dogs to cool off on hot days.
We've had reports of dogs who use the park coming down with Giardia, an intestinal parasite that thrives in dirty water which can infect dogs and humans. Giardia can get into the pool if dogs have fecal matter on their paws. If the dogs drink the infected water, they can get sick. Symptoms of Giardia include diarrhea that can last for several weeks.
Westgrove P.A.C.K. is taking a number of steps to deal with this problem.
1. Communicating to park users about the importance of keeping water bowls clean, picking up poop, and not bringing pools.
2. Removing and disposing of pools that are left in the park.
3. Long-term, we hope to install a safe and healthy water play area for the dogs to cool off on hot days.
Supporting this Effort
- Not bringing pools into the park.
- Frequently changing the water in the bowls.
- Picking up your dog's poop.
- Picking up any other poop you see on the ground.
- Keeping your dog at home if it has diarrhea or any other sign of illness.
- Helping communicate this message to other park users.
If you have suggestions or comments about this policy,
Download a Common Sense Brochure about Westgrove Dog Park.
westgrovedogpark_commonsense2023.pdf |