Cliff note version: attention to detail is still missing as of October 2014.
19 Oct 2014:
First or second day open after being closed for a long time (months?). Due to this note there is no time yet to have piles not picked up? And urine smell probably cleaned by maintenance during closure.
No piles of poop found today, no strong urine smell on "all dog" side.
But.....the two far, single gates in "all dog side" are *still* unlocked and easy for dogs to run out near busy Mission Blvd. when people come in. (They are probably utility gates and should never be left unlocked.). Main gate on all dog side is still not easy to open. Small dog side does not have a trash can yet main entrance has a trash can?
Had a very nice day with the small dog side today. I still doubt I would come to this dog park. The attention to basic requirements (a gate that is super easy to know how to open) is just not there. Not sure why the place was closed for so long.
.......
My prior review that I will leave until I can trust issues are fixed or no longer happening.
Dog poop everywhere, and smelled VERY strong of urine. I do not think I have ever been to a dog park that had this much dog poop everywhere.
I went to Drigon Dog Park today but was not impressed. Note. I have regularly used about 15 dog parks, and have visited about 6-7 others. In other words, I know what should happen at good dog parks.
In 30 minutes at Drigon I found 6 big piles of dog poop (in other words, the owners of the dogs could not miss them) and the smell of urine was unmistakeable. Even if you missed your dog doing to the bathroom you can be relatively safe in thinking they DID "go" so just go and pick up another pile belonging to someone else's dog and call it good. (bring your own bags, though, as there were none in the bag holders)
The "big dog section" dog owners have to watch four (4) separate gates that dogs can get out of, or people can steal dogs out of (yes, I have run into people trying to steal dogs in dog parks, have also run into a person whose dog was purposely poisoned).
There should only be one entrance and exit for each dog park section that is DOUBLE GATED. There should be a wide, SINGLE gate for tractors that is LOCKED except when in use by caretaker/employees.
What I guess (?) is the main gate for the big dog section requires so much work to open it that you think you can't/should not use it so you go through the small dog section which is uncool (can let the little guys out into the big dog section which should never be an option).
There are places for bags up on poles (way up high out of reach of shorter people?) but they were all empty. No wonder I found 6 piles of dog poop in a very short time. Since Mondays are "maintenance" day and we went on Wednesday? That tells me they did not refill the dog bag dispensers this week.
This dog park has potential (ie: has tall 5 foot fences which is a big plus, good parking on the street, has trash cans, has water, it even has lights til 10pm).....but three gates need locks (the two on the far side, and the second gate in the small dog section) -- and the latches need to be fixed so they actually do LOCK. Right now (12-28-2011) dogs can just push some gates open.
The place could be good but *needs dog owners to take responsibility*.
Pick up after your dog! no wonder signs stating that are huge and many - no other dog park I go to has signs to this magnitude and frequencies) and needs work from the establishment (wash all the concrete with, at minimum, a vinegar solution - and keep doing it til the smell is gone - and then refill the dog bags!).
Good things? Right off Mission Blvd, has water, trash, and lights til 10 pm.
Bad? The above and it has a very weird layout. (ie: the auxilary park is totally separate, can't figure out which gate is the one to go in, ect).
Note. When a dog park first opens it looks really good, it is fun, and all that. Perhaps some of the great reviews were done when the park first opened. All dog parks need upkeep, and tweaking to keep it safe, and this one is no exception. read more