By Michael Dinan
More than 650 dog owners have registered for access to the dog run at Waveny Park since a new system was installed at the popular spot last summer, officials say.
Since July, those who want to use the 1.5-acre dog area, Spencer’s Run, have been required to purchase a PIN number ($25 per year for residents and $40 for nonresidents for the first dog, $15 for each additional dog).
About 60 percent of those who have registered for Spencer’s Run are nonresidents, Recreation Director Steve Benko told NewCanaanite.com.
Registration forms are available here.
William and Kiana arrive at Spencer’s Run on Feb. 4 with 8-month-old Claus, a Golden-Doodle. Credit: Michael Dinan
Named for Spencer Plavoukos, a New Canaan resident and dog-lover who was killed together with his yellow Labrador “Bo” in 2005, Spencer’s Run is one of lower Fairfield County’s most heavily used dog parks. That had brought some problems with dog owners bringing aggressive or nonregistered dogs who caused problems and then left the fenced-in area near Lapham Road before police arrived.
With the PIN system in place, officials as needed can research who is in the park and when, and it’s changed user behavior for the better “immensely,” Benko said.
“Now it’s just the users. We don’t have people just showing up with dogs that may not be friendly,” he said. “For the most part the dogs are nice. We don’t have people bringing in young puppies that shouldn’t be there.”
“It’s working very well,” he added.
I used to love this park, but the last few times that I was there it was disgusting. There was poop everywhere! Is not worth it paying $40 to walk in a poop mine field.
Oh I’m sorry to hear that. The same thing tends to happen at Mianus River Park in Stamford—somehow, when there’s snow on the ground, many dog owners will not pick up dog waste. Hopefully the PIN system that’s in place makes it better than it had been, and could even help enforce the law which requires owners to be more responsible than that. —MD