If a human's best friend is its dog, then Royal Oak is showing some big love for its residents' furry but faithful companions.
City officials have approved the creation of a dog park in the Mark Twain Park on the city's northeast side. A grass-roots group of dog lovers have been lobbying the city to open up a dog park where canines can run without a leash but still under the supervision of their owner.
The city does have a couple of dog runs, but nothing big enough for high-speed cavorting, chasing tails and retrieving Frisbees. But to make this possible local citizens will be required to raise enough money to erect a fence around the designated section of the park.
The price to make all of this happen hasn't been made public yet, but local residents have already begun to raise money and research grant opportunities. If everything goes well, they hope to start construction this fall.
If the dogs are allowed to run free in the park (under the watchful eyes of their owners of course), Royal Oak will become the latest community in Metro Detroit to do so. Dog parks are already up in running in Ann Arbor and Madison Heights. Birmingham residents are also lobbying for their own dog park.
For information on helping make Royal Oak's dog park a reality, click here or send an email to ro-dogrun@comcast.net.
Source: Margaret Whitfield, Royal Oak resident organizing the dog park creation efforts
Writer: Jon Zemke
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