Dog days begin in Kalispell

After nearly four years of planning, the Kalispell City Council unanimously approved a 3.5-acre dog park at Begg Park on Monday.

The park will provide the first off-leash area in Kalispell for dogs and their owners, complete with benches, waste disposal stations, walking trails and open fields.

Council decided the $40,000 in city funding for the park will come from this year’s parks and recreation budget with an additional $10,000 contribution from Paws to Play, a local nonprofit supporting the project.

This contribution will go toward immediate implementation of fencing and drainage for the park.

Paws to Play has also set aside another $10,000 to $15,000 for phase one projects that will introduce maintenance and informational sessions to teach the community how to properly use and care for the park.

Previous issues raised by the council about the park included concerns about funding, space, location and the removal of a public park from residents near the Begg Park.

Council member Rod Kuntz brought up the fact that a new school being built in the area would provide an additional public playground for the area, and Begg Park had plenty of space for all the other activities currently enjoyed in the park.

“Dogs are a part of our community, just like people are a part of our community,” Kuntz said. “They are a part of people’s families.”

Though volunteers with Paws to Play told the council they had hoped for a 5 to 10 acre park, this 3.5-acre park was a good start. Volunteers said they believed a second park would make a valuable addition elsewhere in Kalispell in the future.

Council member Phil Guiffrida thanked the organization for its patience and contribution in helping the park become a reality.

“I’m looking at this as we’re diversifying our parks,” Guiffrida said.

Paws to Play plans to hold multiple community benefit events to help continuously maintain the park.

Members of the public also spoke in favor of the park, stating it would not only benefit citizens of Kalispell who currently have to commute to Whitefish to access a dog park, but also tourists traveling with their pets.

Construction and modifications to the park will begin within the next few weeks.

Reporter Mary Cloud Taylor can be reached at 758-4459 or mtaylor@dailyinterlake.com.