July 18, 2002
<bt>Vienna opened its first dog park last Saturday, attracting residents from throughout the town.
Before entering the park, Vienna resident Sally Aarthun stopped at a table where owners could get their dogs licensed by Fairfax County. Aarthun’s dog, Bosco, waited in the car while she filled out the forms.
“We’re really excited,” Aarthun said. “We've been waiting for a long time. The one in Oakton is so far away.”
Other park-goers agreed that the new dog park was more convenient than the Oakton park, which is located along Blake Lane. Others said the Vienna dog park, which is covered in wood chips and is shaded by tree cover, is more aesthetically pleasing than the Oakton park.
“This is a lot nicer than the Blake Lane park,” said Vienna resident Lesley LaRue. “The dust at Blake Lane is pretty bad.”
Vienna resident Alison Walisko said her dog Winnie, a yellow lab, enjoys spending time at dog parks.
“The dogs get to run around with each other for a while, then they go home and sleep,” Walisko said.
The park is located at 700 Courthouse Road, next to Nottoway Park. It is open from dawn to dusk. All dogs must be licensed by either Fairfax County or the Town of Vienna. Aggressive dogs can be asked to leave the park and owners are responsible for cleaning up dog waste. Other rules are posted at the park entrance. The Vienna Parks and Recreation Department is organizing a volunteer friends of the dog park group, to help enforce park rules.
Anyone who would like to join the friends of the dog park group, or who has questions about the park, can call the Vienna Parks and Recreation Department at 703-255-6360
<1b>— David Mongillo