Community Helps Launch Renovated PetCo Foundation Dog Park

Community members and city officials celebrated the launch of  Wednesday after a monthlong renovation that began on June 3.

The park is the city’s only off-leash facility.

In addition to landscaping and amenities for both dogs and their owners, the facility utilizes a self-cleaning system which allows the sprinkler system to wash away pet refuse without the use of bags. 

“We laid out Astroturf,” said Kelli Herwehe, public relation coordinator for the . Before, the park had sporadic patches of grass and dirt, which the dogs could dig into. “There’s also some gazebos and shaded areas where dog owners can sit while their pets play.”

Oceanside Mayor Jim Wood, who owns two papillons and a mini pinscher, said that the park has drastically improved from what it used to be.

“It’s beautiful,” Wood said. “It’s a great asset to Oceanside and certainly the community because it’s a social gathering for both pets and owners and allows our dogs to wear themselves out.”

Being in close proximity to Camp Pendleton, the San Diego Humane Society also announced its partnership with Pets 2 Vets (P2V), an organization founded in Washington, D.C., that pairs orphan animals with veterans.

The organization was founded by David Sharpe, an Air Force veteran.

“He came back and suffered from PTSD and found that by adopting a shelter dog he had someone who could listen to him, who didn’t judge him and became an outlet for him to speak to,” said P2V San Diego Chapter Director Kate Manning. 

Pets 2 Vets works with shelters, particularly the humane society, to find homes for shelter animals and also helps active duty military and veterans find companionship. 

So far the organization has helped match 40 shelter pets to active duty military and veterans in Washington, D.C., since its launch two years ago. 

For Oceanside residents such as Deborah Eichhorn who has seen the park’s growth since moving to the city three years ago, dirt or Astroturf, the park will always hold a special place for the dedicated dog owners who take their pets there on a daily basis.

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