DogFest photos

Today's DogFest at the Shoreview off-leash area was a big success, and a great time for everyone, human and furry. Here are some photos from the event.

Have you seen Korky the dog? He's missing!

We met a man handing out these flyers on our walk this evening; looks like Korky the dog is missing. Another flyer on a post we passed said that he may be "scared and shy," so if you see him, maybe you can call the number before trying to catch the little fella.

He lives on 1st Avenue N.E. in Shoreline, and you can call any of the other numbers on the flyer shown here if you see him.

Keep an eye out for Korky!

Shoreline's first off-leash dogpark is open!

On Saturday morning, the Shoreview off-leash area had its ribbon-cutting and official dog-unleashing ceremony.

Mayor Cindy Ryu was there, as were Dick Deal, Director of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services; Doris McConnell, City Councilmember; and city council candidate Shari Tracey, along with many other people and their canine friends.

A good time was had by dogs and humans alike. We'll let the pictures speak for themselves!

Shoreline's first off-leash dogpark opens this Saturday

And everyone is invited to come to the ribbon-cutting ceremony! According to an email from the City of Shoreline, Shoreline residents collectively own over 12,000 dogs according to estimates by King County Animal Control. Beginning this Saturday these Shoreline dogs and their owners will have a place for romping and socializing as the City of Shoreline opens the first of two planned off-leash dog areas.

Join the celebration Saturday, April 25, at 10:00 a.m. at Shoreview Park as the City of Shoreline dedicates and opens the Shoreview Off-leash Dog Area. The dog area located at 320 Innis Arden Way is to the east and up the hill from the Shoreview tennis courts, in the southeast corner of the park. It can be accessed from the Shoreview parking lot off Innis Arden Drive or from the Shoreline Community College parking lot by entering through the driveway that is furthest west. Then follow the signs.

For more information, visit the Off-Leash Dog Area project page or contact Parks Project Coordinator Maureen Colaizzi at (206) 801-2603 or mcolaizzi@shorelinewa.gov, or visit the ShoreDog.org website.

Photo by Peter Giger

Shoreline resident dog blog

I met this nice dog and her owner one day when she was lost and wandering the streets (the dog, not the owner); her name is Zora, and as it turns out, she has her own blog about being a dog living in Shoreline. Here she is standing in front of the Grease Monkey on 175th.

Any other local dogs, cats, or even people who blog? Let us know; we love local blogs!

Link to Zora's Blog.

Two Shoreline off-leash dog parks have been approved

Great news from Shoredog.org - the city council has approved two pilot sites for off-leash dog parks in Shoreline! One is at Richmond Beach Saltwater Park (the south side of the beach) and one is at Shoreview Park (also known as "the pit" parking lot at Shoreline Community College). Here's further information from Shoredog:

In the next few weeks we'll begin working with the Parks Dept. in the implementation of Shoreview opening in the spring, and Saltwater opening in the fall (this will be a timed use site open from approx. Nov. through April). Remember, these are "pilot" sites for the first year so we need to show the Parks Dept., City Council, and Shoreline residents that we can succeed so that we can reach our long term goal of creating a balanced system of neighborhood off-leash sites throughout Shoreline.

We'd love to see you at our next Shoredog meeting:
Saturday, Jan 31st, 11am-12:30pm at the Lake Forest Park Third Place Commons Meeting Room, 17171 Bothell Way NE.

Regarding the vote, the Shoreview site passed unanimously. Councilmembers Cindy Ryu and Janet Way were most adamantly against passing the Saltwater Park site and voted against it. On the other hand, our biggest advocates were from Councilmembers Doris McConnell, Keith McGlashan, and Ron Hansen. In the end, Terry Scott and Chris Eggen also voted in favor of Saltwater Park. Here is a link with their bios/email addresses if you'd like to send them comments or thanks.

Thanks again to everyone who has supported this process through the last few years. It's been a long road, but we are finally getting somewhere! I can't stress enough how much we will need people to become involved in Shoredog now that our dream has become a reality. Please join us and spread the word!

You can read more about Shoredog, or join them, at their site here.

Here's a link to agendas and video from recent Shoreline City Council meetings.

Photo by Michael "Mike" L. Baird - bairdphotos.com
Used under a Creative Commons license

More about off-leash areas in Shoreline

Have you heard about "ShoreDOG"?

ShoreDOG is a a non-profit that advocates the creation of dog off-leash areas in Shoreline. 

ShoreDog has a meeting coming up this weekend. If you're a dog owner who would like to see off leash areas in Shoreline, you might want to connect with this organization.

What: ShoreDOG Meeting
When: Sat., September 27th   11:00am to 12:30p
Where: Lake Forest Park Third Place Commons Meeting Room, 17171 Bothell Way NE (The meeting room is located in the food court next to the Italian restaurant)

Link to: ShoreDOG website for more info

Dog Day Afternoon in Shoreline on Sunday Sept 28, 2008

Shoreline resident Mina (photo by Sonya)

If you're a dog owner, grab the leash and get ready for some fun!

Dog Day Afternoon is a responsible dog owner event that will be held on Sunday, September 28, 2008 from 1-5 pm at Kellogg Middle School (which is just east of Hamlin Park)

Among the events that will be offered:

• Agility fun course
  
• Grooming assistance and tips
  
• Flyball demonstration
  
• Dog health and safety information
  
• Earthdog demonstration
  

In general, lots of fun and informative activities for dogs and their people.

What: Dog Day Afternoon Responsible Dog Owner Day

Where: 16045 25th Ave NE, Shoreline

When: Sunday, September 28, 2008 from 1:00 - 5:00 pm

Link to the official flyer with much much more information

ShoreDog meeting this Saturday; discuss off-leash areas!

Got a restless pup? Tired of driving out of the area to visit an off-leash dog park? You might be interested in the upcoming ShoreDog meeting, this Saturday at Lake Forest Park Third Place Commons meeting room, from 11:00 am to noon. Be there to discuss the potential sites for Shoreline's proposed off-leash park, and consider joining ShoreDog to support the project. See you there!

If you're a dog owner, or have some opinions on where the park should be, you can post your thoughts here by clicking "Comments" under this post.

Pez for Pets (!) on sale in Shoreline

I'm not saying I think this is a good idea. I'm just sayin' - they now make Pez dispensers for your dog. "Pez for Pets" is much larger than a normal Pez dispenser, and dispenses dog treats. Have things finally gone too far in the world of Pez? (answer: yes)

Anyway, these things are on clearance sale at Walgreens in North City for only $4.99

Your dog wants Pez!

Update on Off-Leash Dog Park(s)

The City of Shoreline has updated their website with new information about the "Off-Leash Dog Areas (OLDA) Pilot Project" There were 38 sites looked at originally as possibilities for off-leash dog parks in Shoreline. Those 38 sites were whittled down to 14 that met the necessary criteria, and then further whittled down to the 6 "most promising" sites. And it looks like the city is considering multiple off-leash dog parks in Shoreline.

The 6 sites chosen as "most promising" are at the following locations:

• Richmond Beach Saltwater Park
• North City Park
• Aldercrest Annex
• Hamlin Park
• A parking lot at Shoreline Community College
• Open Space at Metro Transit's North Base
  

The "OLDA" study group will take public comment throughout the summer of 2008 on these proposed sites, select pilot sites, improve those sites as needed and actually implement the pilot sites (for a 12 month test phase) in the spring of 2009.

The City's website has lots more information and links to pdf files with maps of the sites in question, as well as a FAQ sheet, history of the project, and more.

Link to: The City's webpage with updated info about the project

A dog park in Shoreline?

This Thursday evening (June 12th, 7pm) there will be a "public presentation" concerning the recommendations of Shoreline's Off-Leash Dog Area Study Group. Find out which sites the group has identified and what their recommendations are.

I won't be able to make it to the meeting, but if you do go, please send me a note to let me know what happened and what was talked about. I'd love to be able to post something here about the results of the meeting. Thanks!

Where: The Shoreline Historical Museum
When: Thursday, June 12th at 7:00pm

For more info:
Contact Maureen Colaizzi at (206) 546-0232 or email mcolaizzi@ci.shoreline.wa.us

More info about this project is here: City of Shoreline