Osseo Discusses Dog Parks

There currently isn’t a dog park in Osseo and the City Council directed staff not to pursue investigating the issue further. The city doesn’t own vacant land for a new park, and the city recently revamped sidewalks so pets don’t have to walk in the road.

Whether or not to develop a dog park in Osseo has come up a few times. There have been reports about not all dog owners picking up after their pets in city parks. That can make for a messy situation that must be cleaned up before the city hosts events like Movies in the Park.

Council member Harold Johnson said it seemed like the number of dogs in parks have quadrupled in recent years.

“For every one that’s added, there’s one more than doesn’t pick up after it,” said Johnson. “I think this is something we have to address.”

Council member Larry Stelmach brought up that the city recently upgraded several sidewalks, so people have a place to walk their dogs that isn’t in the street. He added that he would hate to see dogs banned from city events.

“I think there are a lot of responsible pet owners out there,” said Stelmach. “I would hate for them not to have their companion with them or make them feel awkward about it.”

The city doesn’t currently own vacant land where a dog park could be located. So the council directed staff not to pursue the matter further at this point.

Osseo