Dogs will finally get a place to roam in Eagan

Scout could use more some room to roam.

The 140-pound Great Dane puppy spends most of his exercise time tethered to Eagan owner Roxanne McManess. An off-leash dog park in Eagan would provide Scout a safe place to run and play with other dogs.

"A dog park would help socialize him. It would be great," McManess said one sunny afternoon as she walked Scout and her other dog, a bassett hound named Rahki.

"He's very much a puppy and very anxious when he sees other dogs."

Scout, Rahki and all of Eagan's canines could be unleashed as soon as this summer. Last week, the Eagan City Council approved budgeting for the construction of an off-leash dog park in the little-used southwest corner of Thresher Fields Park.

Parks officials are optimistic it could open this year.

"It's just been a real continuing conversation since I got here five years ago," said Juli Seydell Johnson, Eagan's director of parks and recreation. "It's one of the top things people stop me on the street and ask me about."

"As Eagan is changing, we have a lot more dogs and a lot more people interested in their dogs," Seydell Johnson said. "It should be a nice amenity to add to the parks."

Eagan's dog park would occupy about 6.4 acres of Thresher Fields Park's 77 acres. The park, located near the city's industrial complex, has soccer fields and trails.

"I am glad this is finally happening," Council Member Paul Bakken said at Tuesday's meeting. "Aside from better serving our canine American constituents, it will also be nice to see more daytime use at that park."

The site is partially wooded and borders North Lake. The dog park will be fenced. The finer details about the park's operation still need to be worked out, including permitting, hours of operation, canine access to the lake and how to divide the park between small dogs and big dogs. Eagan's advisory Parks Commission will discuss those details at its March 19 meeting.

It will cost the city about $45,000 to create the dog park, which will pay for fencing, signage and trash bins. The parks department was able to find money for the dog park in its existing budget.

"I think it would be great," Pross said.