It’s a tail-wagging idea – to have a dog park in Clayton. Dogs and owners alike are excited and hopeful to soon see a dog park in Clayton as a renewed initiative is gaining support and making progress in turning the idea of a dog park in Clayton into a reality.

However, they face several significant challenges and a history of unsuccessful attempts to have a dog park in Clayton.

“If you want to abide by the laws, then there is really no place in Clayton for you to safely run your pets and let them get out their energy,” said Clayton resident Deb Dubin, who is helping lead the initiative for a dog park in Clayton. “So, that something a bunch of people would talk about as we walked our dogs…People would sort of say, ‘gosh wouldn’t it be great if we had a dog park.’”

Recently, Dubin along with Ben Uchitelle, the former mayor of Clayton, have begun pursuing the idea of having a dog park in Clayton.

“We decided to reinvigorate that group and to try and make it actually happen in the next little bit of time if we can,” Dubin said.

However, the idea of a dog park in Clayton is over 10 years old and it has been unsuccessful several times in the past. In 1998, there was a significant interest in officially turning Wydown Park, near the corner of Wydown Blvd. and Hanley Rd., into a dog park as residents were already taking their dogs to the small park.

Clayton Mayor Linda Goldstein, who was an alderman at the time, recognized the benefits of having a dog park in Clayton.

“It was wonderful to watch people after work go and socialize with other people,” Goldstein said. “It is a great way to bring the community together.” In the end, the dog park idea at Wydown Park was unsuccessful after neighbors disapproved the idea.

However, Uchitelle still feels it would be a great addition to the City of Clayton. “It’s a socializing event that brings people together from all walks of life,” Uchitelle said. “You could say ‘heck, there is a dog park in University City, there is a dog park in Maplewood, but those are used by the residents of those communities…it would be nicer and better to have a dog park here in Clayton, for the people of Clayton.”

Today, Dubin and Uchitelle have organized an initiative to once again push for a dog park. They have confirmed that over 130 families in Clayton would enjoy and benefit from a dog park.

Patty DeForrest, the Director of the Clayton Parks and Recreation, is excited and hopeful that the idea of a dog park turns into a reality as she realizes that “all the elected officials and the parks and recreation commission staff are very aware that is a large group of people who are interested in [a dog park].”

Despite the growing support, Alderman Judy Goodman explained that the City must be cautious in making sure that a dog park would be financially appropriate. “I would very much enjoy it personally, but I think we have to think broadly about the community and what’s best for the community at large and how to fit it into our budget,” Goodman said. A dog park with the appropriate fencing, water fountains, benches, and landscaping could cost from $50,000 – $80,000.

However, DeForrest explained that these expenses could be recovered through park memberships. “People would pay to belong to the dog park,” DeForrest said. “They would pay a yearly fee usually somewhere around $20 to $30, and those fees help maintain [the dog park]. So, it is not a drain on city resources.”

Yet, Goldstein thinks that the City must be cautious in how money is invested in comparison with what are the priorities of the city. “There is always a balance between the needs of the city and the priorities,” Goldstein said. “We have all kinds of great services, and great public safety, and great parks, but they all take money. So, it’s really a balance of where do you invest your money and what is top priority for the city overall.”

Another issue for the dog park is finding a suitable location in the City of Clayton. “The issue then and the issue now, is where to put it,” Goodman said. “I think that continues to be the stumbling block is where would be the best place to put a dog park.” With previous unsuccessful attempts at having dog parks in parks with neighbors nearby, the new initiative is focusing on finding a location that has no adjacent neighbors.

However, with little green space in Clayton, the initiative is looking for alternatives where they could possibly receive additional land for the dog park instead of using park space.

“I would encourage us to take a look at things that have not been considered,” said Dubin. “If you only look at existing park lands, you would come up short in terms of what is needed for dogs.”

Dubin and Uchitelle have recently been approached by Concordia Seminary, which is interested is discussing the possibility of having a dog park somewhere on its property.

“[Concordia] is interested in discussing the possibility with us, but we are nowhere near what you would call a done deal,” Dubin said. “We’re very preliminary in discussions and there are a lot of approvals that would have to happen but some people are very enthusiastic.”

For the past several years, the City of Clayton has been leasing the long stretch of park space near Captain Elementary School from Concordia. If an agreement can be reached with Concordia and the City of Clayton, the dog park would likely be located in that area.

“I am optimistic that the Concordia space will work out,” Uchitelle said. “If it does, if we get the green light, then there are all the activities and work to put that together: the fencing, the rules, the regulations, the maintenance…Our group is fully prepared to assist in meaningful ways in making this happen.”

However, Goldstein is still cautious of being too optimistic for the dog park in Clayton.

“I’ve been down the dog park path a couple of time,” Goldstein said. “So, I’m hoping that it works out, but we have to take it one step at a time.”