This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Bow Wow Beach Re-Opens for Spring

The popular dog park in Stow opened again March 17.

Area dog owners are celebrating the end of winter by busting out tennis balls and Frisbees and loading the canine kids into vehicles for trips to .

The popular 7.5-acre off-leash park, owned by the city and operated by the , opened its gates for the 2011 season March 17.

Despite chilly temperatures, the park was abuzz March 19 with dogs of all sizes and breeds running, chasing, barking and fetching. A few hardy pooches were even taking dips in the park’s 3-acre lake.

Find out what's happening in Stowwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Hudson resident Victoria Bitenbinder said she has been anxiously awaiting the re-opening of Bow Wow Beach so her nine-month-old boxer, Bentley, could burn off a winter’s worth of excess energy.

“Over the winter he didn’t run and he was crazy,” which led to some behavioral issues, said Bitenbinder. “We’ve come here three days in a row for like two hours a day, and he goes home really tired.”

Find out what's happening in Stowwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Eric Clites doesn’t mind the drive to Bow Wow Beach from his Portage Lakes home because his boys – Escobar, a 6-year-old Bassett hound, and R.J., a 2-year-old border collie mix – are so happy at the dog park.

“We’ve been coming here for two years for the companionship of other dogs – and to get the energy run out of the border collie,” said Clites.

While Escobar slowly lumbered about on his short legs, just taking everything in, a wet and dirty R.J. zipped around at full speed, alternating between fetching tennis balls in the lake and digging in the sand for buried treasure.

Asked how he felt about driving home with the wet-dog smell, a laughing Clites said, “I’ve got the perfect van for it, a $200 beater, so I don’t care how dirty they get.” As R.J. ran by, Clites called out, “You’re getting a bath when you get home, huh boy?”

There’s also a lot of pent-up dog energy at Pat Pease’s home in Kent. She’s the human mom to two Airedoodles (a cross between an Airedale terrier and poodle). The four-year-old littermates are named Blue and Doc.

“We’ve been coming here since they were pups. I just came by today, wishing and hoping it was open,” said Pease, who visits the park at least twice weekly, spring through fall.

Bow Wow Beach "wears them out and it’s good socialization. Plus they’re really strong, so walking them on leashes can be a chore. Bringing them here is a breeze,” she explained.

Stow resident Trevor Stiegemier enjoys bringing his duo – toy poodle Elvis, 5, and beagle-mix Jovi, 2 – to the park where he enjoyed swimming during his childhood in Hudson.

“It’s nice to have a big open area fenced in like this just for dogs,” he said.

Canton residents Krista Pochedly and Chris Davis stay abreast of Bow Wow Beach activities through a Facebook page dedicated to the park. Their canine kids are Buster, a Boston terrier, and Wunjo, a Norwegian elkhound. Both dogs are approaching their second birthdays, meaning they’re still full of puppy energy.

“We love this place. It’s our favorite dog park,” said Pochedly. “It’s more peaceful than other dog parks, with a lot less fighting. For Wunjo, it’s made him a lot more extroverted.”

The admission-free dog park opened in May 2007 at what was formerly the city’s swimming lake for humans. Just one summer later, “Dog Fancy” magazine rated Bow Wow Beach as one of the nation’s Top 10 best dog parks.

Bow Wow Beach includes both sandy and grassy areas, agility equipment and dock-jumping area, both installed last season, a separate fenced area for small dogs, fresh-water dog washing stations and waste deposit stations. For humans, there are portable restroom facilities, park benches and picnic tables.

Park hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, although opening is delayed until 11 a.m. Thursdays for maintenance. Visit the park’s website for rules and regulations.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Stow