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Help W.A.G. by Donating → |
The mission of W.A.G. (Whitefish Animal Group) is to promote responsible dog ownership
and the establishment of safe, legal off-leash dog parks for the Whitefish area.
Hello, and thank you for coming to our web site. Please take a few minutes to browse through our website and learn more about the Hugh Rogers Wag Park, and how you can help.
After a four -year public/private collaboration, the Flathead Valley has its first off-leash dog park, and it is a major success. The dream was realized on June 20th, 2009, when the bullpen gates officially opened at Hugh Rogers Wag Park located in the Armory Park complex in Whitefish. The five acre park features fully accessible paths, benches, a drinking fountain for dogs and people, a message center, and lots of open space for play. And it’s going to get even better.
The non-profit Whitefish Animal Group known as WAG led an effort to locate the best available space, create a safe and user-friendly design, raise all necessary funds, and work through public processes and City requirements to make the park a reality for our community and visitors. The Whitefish Parks and Recreation Department worked enthusiastically with WAG every step of the way. The Park Board and Whitefish City Council were involved throughout the project and gave their approval to this major component of the greater Armory Park Master Plan.
The park is free to the public, and welcomes all responsible users. It is owned and maintained by the City of Whitefish, with WAG acting in an advisory capacity. WAG will continue to raise funds and provide leadership for future improvements. All donations through WAG are tax-deductible.
Recent improvements to the park thanks to the communities generous donations have been: a community pavilion, additional paved pathways, and trees. Additional trees have been allocated for planting in Spring 2011.
Future planned improvements include completion of the paved pathway system, improving the NW quadrant of the park, the addition of an agility course, a small dog area, solar lighting for the pavilion, and the addition of a pond and dog beach. We would also like to add additional seating throughout the park and more trees.
The City of Whitefish and WAG welcome you to Hugh Rogers Wag Park, named in the honor of the beloved Whitefish veterinarian who died in a plane crash in April 2009.
1/6/12
A Message from the WAG Board:
WAG 2011 Recap and 2012 Preview
The WAG Board would like to thank all of you for a wonderful 2011.
As you all know, since its inception, the park has been a collaborative effort between the City of Whitefish, through its Parks and Recreation department, and the Whitefish Animal Group (WAG), a 501 (c) non-profit corporation, and a host of volunteers who have donated time and money every step of the way. Used 365 days a year, the park receives an estimated 30,000 visits per year by dogs of all sizes and breeds, and by people of all ages and abilities. In addition to its value to pet owners, the WAG park is also utilized by a diverse cross-section of the community, many without dogs.
For those of you who do not know the history, following the donation of five acres by the City of Whitefish, WAG received private donations allowing for construction of fencing, benches, a five foot wide ADA compliant asphalt path, a water fountain for people and dogs, garbage cans and mutt mitts disposable bags; allowing the park to open to the public in 2009. In 2010 a state of the art pavilion was constructed, again with private donations made to WAG, and more than 25 trees were planted.
2011 was a banner year as several more projects were completed. A small dog area was installed early in the year with bench, garbage can and Mutt Mitt station. The City provided a new underground sprinkling system around the pavilion for more than 8,000 plus square feet of sod which was placed by volunteers. This greatly beautified the area and improved the accessibility and use of the Pavilion, particularly in inclement weather. Also this year, the design and construction of a permanent safe obstacle course for dogs took place, consisting of five obstacles complete with new sod over the two culvert obstacles. This addition to the Park, along with the addition of a new bench in the area provides wonderful new activity/exercise opportunities for the dogs and people, and has increased the use of this section of the Park dramatically.
The last project completed in 2011 was the extension of the five foot wide ADA compliant asphalt path, providing more than 2,200 linear feet of path that will be of great benefit to everyone who uses this park, including those in wheelchairs, parents with babies in carriages, and people without dogs who just want to walk the path and take in the panoramic view of the mountains. The success and quality of Huge Rogers WAG park has elicited widespread praise, as well as numerous inquiries for advice from other municipalities and out of town visitors seeking similar park development.
Our next major project, which will begin in earnest in 2012, will be to fund, design, renovate and expand an existing, but not currently useable, pond and beach in the park. Native plants and a beach area will be included in the design. We hope to be able to expand the total area of the park to the South in conjunction with the pond project. Once the preliminary design and estimated budget is established by our Pond Committee, we will begin a large funding campaign specifically for this project.
With the addition of this water feature for dogs, the WAG park may well be the finest dog park in the country. For photos and more on this wonderful park, visit wag park.org.
Jim Lockwood
WAG President
406/862-7760 (h)
406/250-9737 (c)
12/6/2011: Results of the Wasabi fundraiser; $260.00! Thanks Paula,
and thanks to everyone who supported the effort!
Final Sections of the ADA compliant pathway completed!
Agility Area Volunteers.
Thanks!
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Follow this link to new pho os from the Wag Park, taken by Joe Fisher. http://dogshots.biz/dogpark/index.htm
Be sure to check out the Brand New Small Dog Area at the South end of the Park. Enter through the South Gate, it has a seperate entrance inside the double gate. Dogs under 25 Lbs only please.
Congratulations to everyone involved in the 2nd Annual Wag Race today. Special recognition to Matthew Smeltzer, the race organizer, and Maragret Evans of Whitefish Animal Hospital! What a great event for the Park and the City of Whitefish.
Update 4/26/11 Update from Bruce Aronson. We visited Zorro, Bandit, Ethel, Fred and Ricky in their new temporary home in Wyoming on our vacation. Christi Chapman, CDT, is wonderful and will lead them to forever homes.
> Checkout our new T-shirts and Hooded Sweat Shirts (same graphics on Sweat Shirt)
Available for purchase at Alpine Animal Hospital, and Whitefish Animal Hospital.
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Click photos to enlarge:
"Katie"
"Olie"
"Stretch"
