Augusta Dog Park
AUGUSTA DOG PARK RULES
1. You enter this park at your own risk. This is true for any recreational area in Maine that is open to the public.
2. You are legally responsible for your dog's behavior, and you alone are responsible for your dog's well-being. If your dog bites someone or jumps and knocks a person down, Maine law holds you responsible for any injury. Although others are equally liable for their dogs' behavior, you are the person responsible for your dog's safety. (For more information, see the sections entitled “Setting Up Success for Your Dog” and “Avoiding Good Times Gone Wrong”).
3. All dogs must be leashed until they are inside the FIRST GATE of the double-gated entrance to the park. Before letting your dog out of the car, make sure his/her collar is snug and your leash is securely attached. (For more information, see the section entitled “Sharing Mill Park”)
4. Inside the fenced play area, watch your dog and have your leash with you at all times. The dynamics of dog play can change quickly, and you need to be prepared to intervene quickly.
5. No children under 4 years of age are allowed inside the dog park. Children under 12 years of age must be with a supervising adult. Many dogs are not comfortable around young children, and childrens' high-pitched voices and quick motions can trigger predatory behavior in some dogs. In addition, young children often play on the ground, where dog feces may have deposited parasite eggs. A dog park is not a safe place for toddlers. Older children should be reminded not to run inside the dog park and not to approach others' dogs without first asking the owners' permission. All children need to know that if a fight erupts, they should walk calmly and silently away from it. No one, of course, should tease any dog. It's advisable for people of all ages to wear shoes, rather than sandals or bare feet, in a dog park. Bare feet are prohibited.
6. Dogs must be properly inoculated, licensed, wearing a collar with rabies tags, and free of viral infections. Maine law requires dogs to be vaccinated against rabies and licensed by the town, and any dog using public space should be vaccinated against distemper, parvovirus, and other diseases, as recommended by your veterinarian. If your dog may have a contagious condition of any sort, please do not put other dogs at risk by coming to the park. (To be aware of other possible health concerns, see section entitled “Veterinary Issues”).
7. No aggressive dogs are allowed in the park. If your dog has a history of aggression or fighting, do not bring him or her to the dog park. Doing so is likely to make your dog's problem worse and cause trauma for others. If your dog is normally peace-loving but is behaving aggressively or hounding another dog who is trying to evade the attention, take him or her out of the park. Fights can change a dog's social outlook for life, and both people and dogs can be seriously injured in them. (For more guidance, see the Section entitled “Avoiding Good Times Gone Wrong”).
8. No female dogs in heat or puppies under 4 months old are allowed in the park. Females in heat are a notorious stimulus for fights and would leave smells in the play area that would arouse dogs well after the female left. As for young pups, their immune systems are not mature until the age of 4 months, and so the puppy's vaccine regimen cannot be completed before then.
9. No more than two dogs per person may enter the group play areas. Handlers are responsible for watching their dogs at all times, and it's impossible to closely monitor several dogs at once. In addition, some dogs that live together are prone to \"gang up\" and bully other dogs.
10. Remove choke or pinch collars and head halters BEFORE OPENING THE SECOND GATE of the double-gated area. Dogs must be free of such collars or halters once they are off leash and inside the park. If this type of a collar or halter catches on a fence or another dog's tooth, it can cause panic and serious injury or death due to strangulation.
11. You MUST pick up you dog's waste promptly everywhere in the Augusta Dog Park Area, both along the walkway leading to the fenced dog park and inside off-leash area. This is basic to responsible dog ownership, no matter where we are. In the off-leash area, anything we don't pick up, our dogs are likely to wear home-and so may we. The longer piles sit on the ground, the higher the chance that they might transmit intestinal parasites or disease to other dogs. (See the section entitled “Veterinary Issues” for more information). To help keep down the costs of maintaining the dog park, please carry your own waste disposal bags. Receptacles are provided, and, for days when you've forgotten a bag or need an extra, dog waste bags are available.
12. Fill in all holes that your dog digs. Digging is part of normal dog play, but holes endanger dogs and humans alike. So please promptly backfill any holes that your dog digs within the park to prevent injury to other dogs or people
13. Do not eat, smoke, or run inside the dog park. Some dogs become aggressive in the presence of food (see the section entitled “Resource Guarding”). Cigarette butts are toxic to dogs. Running can arouse predatory behavior in excited dogs.
14. Do not give treats to anyone else's dog. Some dogs have food allergies, and, again, some will behave aggressively in the presence of food. If you want treats at hand for training purposes, keep them out of sight and don't offer them to any dog but your own.
15. Leave your dog's favorite toy and all rawhide chews at home. Cherished toys and high-value chews, including bully sticks and pigs' ears, also can trigger resource guarding.
16. If your dog seems timid, stressed, overly aroused, or aggressive, please take it out of the off-leash area IMMEDIATELY. Every day poses different dynamics, even if it's the same group of dogs playing, and a bad day at the dog park can alter a dog's social confidence for life. If your dog becomes irritable or skittish, it's probably time to go home for today. (See the section regarding “Stress Signals” for important information about this). Note: The small dog area of the dog park can be used by larger dogs as a training or separate play area, provided that there are no small dogs present and there is no \"fence fighting\" between dogs in the two play areas. Please yield to the owners of dogs less than 25 pounds, if any arrive.
17. Any dog park user may ask someone who is not abiding by the rules to leave. We are each responsible for keeping this park clean and safe for our dogs. Start by asking other dog park users for their cooperation.
18. In case of a dog bite, call the police at 626.2370, in the event of an emergency, call 911. Any serious dog bite to a human being should be reported PROMPTLY to the police.
Like many other off-leash recreation areas nationwide, the Augusta Dog Park is situated in a multi-use public park complex. The Mill Park Area is used by:
o dogs and their owners year-round;
o patrons of the Farmers Market
o birdwatchers, particularly in the spring, summer and fall;
o citizens of our great city to walk and enjoy the Kennebec River
Park hours: dawn to dusk daily
Chairs
Dog drinking water
Table
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