A Tale of Two Dog Parks

Some pet owners who used to bring their dogs to the city of Stone Mountain's have specifically mentioned two others that seem to work: in Decatur and the Clarkston Dog Park in the city of Clarkston.

The Stone Mountain city council voted to close the controversial Red Dog Park in December. Nearby residents complained of problems such as noise, parking and people arriving during off-hours. There is a , but the council recently voted to keep the space closed while .

Patch checked out the Clarkston and Adair dog parks (here is a list of other metro Atlanta dog parks) and talked to visitors and city officials about what makes the spaces work:

Adair Dog Park

Address: 716 W. Trinity Place

Size: About one acre.

Parking: On the street.

What's around it: Neighbors include residences, including as well as and Swanton House.

This dog park is part of Adair Park and is one of three dog parks in the city of Decatur (the others are at , and Oakhurst).

According to the city of Decatur's web site, its dog parks are “resident only/permit required” facilities as of May 2006, but some pet owners from outside the city limits have visited with no problems. The city says permits are available to City of Decatur residents at the Decatur Recreation Center and Glenlake Tennis Center.

Several regular, dedicated visitors help maintain the park by doing various tasks such as spreading mulch; Patch spotted one pet owner, who had dogs of her own, cleaning up after someone else's dog.

Recent park visitors told Patch there is a lot of community policing there, and most pet owners are mindful of any tension among the dogs. Some people will put their dogs in "time out" if they misbehave. They knew of one complaint about the park from a nearby resident who was ill.

"I try to be as nice as I can and as helpful as I can, and not cause any trouble," said Rene Iverson, who brings her dog Blondie to the park. 

Cheryl Burnette, assistant director of active living in the city of Decatur, said there have been "one or two complaints" about the dog park.

She said it is important to "keep the lines of communication open."

Adair Dog Park is just under ten miles from Red Dog Park.

Clarkston Dog Park

Address: Clarkston Dog Park is situated within Milam Park, 3867 Norman Rd., Clarkston.

Size: about a half-acre according a 2008 article in Atlanta Journal-Constitution about its grand opening.

Parking: At the park.

What's around it: Several residences on one side; the playground is close to one side of the enclosed dog park.

Clarkston Dog Park is open sunrise to sunset, seven days a week. Milam Park has amenities such as a pool, ball playing fields, and a playground.

Capt. T. Brown of the City of Clarkston Police Department told Patch he didn't know of any 911 calls about problems such as noise at the park, or other complaints.

"It poses no problems for us," Brown said.

The only dog-related issues he said he's heard are when pet owners have their dogs off-leash outside of the dog park, he said.

Brown said with summer approaching, he anticipates more people and their pets flocking to the dog park. It was quiet the morning Patch visited. There is a Clarkston Dog Park Facebook community that exchanges information about lost and found dogs, rescue groups and other pet-related information.

Brown said during the summer months, there is usually a police officer that works in the Milam Park area.

Clarkston Dog Park is about five miles away from Red Dog Park.