After temporarily closing two months ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Abington Dog Park, located on Summer Street next to the Abington Senior Center, will be reopening its gates on Tuesday, May 26th.
“We’re very excited to have the park open again. We’ve missed our pup and people friends,” said Sue McHugh, President of Friends of Abington Dog Park. “Our dogs have come to rely on the park for exercise and play. We know we’ll soon have lots of happy, tired dogs.”
However, the dog park reopening does come with a few new caveats.
“We just hope that everyone can be patient, respectful and kind to each other as we adjust to new routines,” McHugh added.
In addition to the regular rules posted on signs at the park and on the Abington (MA) Dog Park Facebook page, Friends of Abington Dog Park have also instituted some new protocols to ensure the safety of all park users:
Social Distancing – Do not congregate in groups. Stay six feet or more away from other park users. If the park feels crowded, consider returning another time.
Masks – Since there will be times when park users will need to quickly approach each other to handle dogs at play, masks will be MANDATORY while at the park.
Toys and Water – Shared toys and water bowls will not be permitted. Any toys or bowls brought to and left at the park will be removed. Toys including balls and Frisbees should be left at home for now. Park users should bring water for their own dogs until the water fountain is turned on in the near future; at that point, bring a bowl for your dog.
Trash Disposal – Please continue to clean up after your dogs. Poop bag dispensers will be stocked as needed. All trash barrels in the park will be emptied weekly. If you are not comfortable touching the lidded barrels, please discard waste and trash in the black bins near the park gates or at home.
Sanitizer – The Friends of Abington Dog Park will try to supply hand sanitizer for use at the park, but given the difficulty in obtaining supplies at this time, users should plan to bring their own or to wash their hands as soon as they get home.
Gloves – If you wear gloves at the park, please dispose of them properly to keep dogs from ingesting them and to minimize litter.
Sickness – If you have any reason to believe you may be sick or have been exposed to someone who has been sick, please stay home.
“If someone isn’t following guidelines, approach them gently,” said McHugh. “Maybe they don’t know, although we’ll have lots of signage.”
“Obviously, if the new rules aren’t followed, we’ll have to reconsider staying open,” explained McHugh. “We hope the community can work together just as they did to get the park built in the first place.”
For more information visit: Abington (MA) Dog Park on Facebook or email abingtondogpark@gmail.com.
Written by Michele Christian
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