By Mary O’KEEFE

The Crescenta Valley Dog Park re-opened to the public on Saturday, June 16 during normal hours of operation from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Pet parents and their dogs were very happy when the gates swung open after being closed for four days. The CV Dog Park was closed after CV Town Council President Harry Leon was contacted about dogs that frequent the park becoming ill. He in turn contacted Los Angeles County, which investigated the issue and decided to close the park in “an abundance of caution.”

There has been some criticism against the CVTC for closing the park; however, the Council’s responsibility is to be the liaison between the community and LA County. Leon, therefore, shared concerns from the public with the County and it was the Dept. of Parks and Recreation that made the final call. There was also praise for taking the precautions to keep pets safe.

“Parks and Recreation staff consulted with both LA County Dept. of Animal Care and Control and the LA County Dept. of Public Health staff to determine how to safely clean the park after illnesses of other dogs were reported,” stated LA County Parks and Recreation in a press release.

Based on feedback from the Public Health and Animal Care and Control departments, they believe the illnesses were a result of an infection from dog-to-dog contact. To ensure the safety of the pets, the Dept. of Parks and Recreation disinfected the dog park.

All three county departments have been in contact with dog owners who use the park. The Dept. of Parks and Recreation also spoke to pet owners upset about the temporary closure of the park. Parks staff shared the need to study the situation in order to determine the cause of the illness and make sure it was not connected directly to the park, and the need to clean the park in a safe manner.

  Mary Okeefe