Alytus’ four-legged residents acquire new playspace

The dog park is equipped with training courses and blends naturally with the surrounding environment

Dogs walking their masters on a leash may be a trite pun but on Monday evening, it was a common sight in Alytus Youth Park where people and their canine friends came for the opening of a new dog park. From now on, residents of the Lithuanian city will be able to socialize in a well-adapted, fenced space while their pets enjoy themselves performing various tricks on the dedicated equipment.

Installing what people asked for

The moment of cutting the ceremonial ribbon was a bit unusual, as it was not held by people, but by two well-groomed dogs. The actual cutting was done by the Mayor of Alytus City Municipality, Nerijus Cesiulis and the head of the local Cerberis Sports Dog Club, Kęstutis Rutkauskas.
 
"We met with you a year ago to talk about whether such a site is needed or whether it should be here. Then, I think, many did not believe that we would install it at all. We’ve always imagined the need for some great entertainment, with pitches, agility courses, training gear, but it turns out you just need a fenced area, a gate, benches and a self-expression space for your dogs. We have installed what you asked for, and if we need something else, we will complement it,” said Nerijus Cesiulis, as quoted by the city website.

After the official opening of the site, the participants were treated to a programme of tricks performed by the four-legged members of Cerberis club.

In the new enclosed area, dogs will be able to run freely without endangering other visitors to the park. In addition to a secure fence, there are several training facilities, a rubbish bin, a bench and a water point. It is also planned to install lighting so that the space is kept safe and bright in the cold months when it gets dark earlier.

Regular shapes avoided  

"Alytus Youth Park is a unique place, so we really didn't want to go the easiest way - build a standard segmented fence. We wanted this pet space to have a unique face, but not to become a foreign body. On the contrary, the enclosure had to blend naturally with the surrounding environment. Therefore, we decided to avoid regular shapes, and we chose the right materials and colours – wood and black. I am glad that dog lovers really liked these solutions,” explained Artūras Mažeika, Chairman of the Youth Park Development Working Group, responsible for the dog park’s design and implementation.

The local government asks residents to use this space responsibly and be patient, as the newly sown grass still needs to take root.