What: Dog parks Where: Tri-state Date: Some open year round Cost: Varies Wednesday, March 15, 2006 Dogs run wild By Kate Westrich Man’s best friend deserves to be pampered with an extra scratch behind the ear, a pat on the head or a special belly rub. But even better would be a few moments of freedom: freedom to run across stretches of green grass with the wind blowing through its fur. With more and more dog parks popping up around the Cincinnati area, your special mutt can get he freedom he or she so longs for.   Ask any dog person and you will get an earful about how wonderful dogs are. Ask any dog about humans, and they will probably (if they could) tell you that they are nice, but don’t take them on enough walks and are always making them wear a leash. Therein lays the beauty of dog parks. They offer a fenced in area, where dogs can run around sans leash and play with other dogs, sniff … stuff to their nose’s content   Until recently Cincinnati has only one dog park available: the Mount Airy Forest Dog Park. While Cincinnatians have been proud of this dog-friendly resource, Cincinnati suburbs have had population booms over the last several years and suburban dogs needed some good park access. The Iams Wiggly Field Dog Park is catering to pooches in West Chester and other parks are popping up in Loveland, Covington and Anderson. **Before going to a dog park though make sure to purchase a dog license. According to the SPCA, "The cost of failing to obtain a license or display the license can result in a $100 fine. If an animal is picked up off its property without being under the control of its guardian, the fine will double." Visit www.doglicense.com for a listing of where to purchase a dog license in your county. ** A Dog Park Near You… If you and your four-legged best friend are ready to go explore a dog park, check out these in the Cincinnati area: Bigfoot Run Dog Park Intersection of US 22 / Ohio 3 and Morrow-Cozaddale Road, Hamilton Township Iams Wiggly Field Dog Park Voice of America Park , 8070 Tylersville Road, West Chester This three-acre park has room for both big and small dogs to romp around leash-free. Kellogg Park Dog Field 6701 Kellogg Ave., Anderson Township This park is open year-round for your pooch. Entrance is $5 for one day or $30 to $45 for one year. Kennel Resorts 5825 Meadowview Dr., Milford Give your dog the freedom to run and play with other dogs at Kennel Resorts. Kenton Paw Park Pioneer Park, 3950 Madison Pike, Covington Priding itself as an accessible place for dogs and humans alike, the Kenton Paw Park lets dogs run through the grass or rest in the shade. McFarlan Woods Westwood Northern Blvd., Cincinnati This dog park is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. all year. Mason Dog Park Old Irwin Simpson Road, Mason Located right next to a playground, this park has fun for the whole family. Mount Airy Forest Dog Park 2970 Westwood Northern Blvd., Westwood One of the better known dogs parks in Cincinnati, the Mount Airy Forest Dog Park has set the standards of what a dog park should offer. Scout Burnell-Garbrecht Dog Park 210 Fairground Road, Xenia At this dog park owners are encouraged to have fun playing too. Schappacher Park 4686 Old Irwin-Simpson Road, Deerfield Township; Symmes Township Park 11600 Lebanon Road, Symmes Township In addition to walking trails and a bird sanctuary, this park has a dog run for you and your four-legged friend. Dog Park Resources on the Web www.dogpark.com is a Web site that is tracking the growing popularity of dog parks and helping people find the one closest to them. This site offers suggestions for good dog park behavior and reasons why dog parks are an important and legitimate use of county and city park facilities and budgets. You can access information about thousands of dog parks. www.dogplay.com, a site promoting healthy, active play for dogs, explains the basic of dog parks: what are they, is there an entrance fee, proper etiquette. www.thebark.com supports The Bark magazine and has fun articles about everything canine, including a discussion of how dog parks have become popular. Kate Westrich is a Cincinnati native and avid flip-flop wearer. Return to regular view