Shelley Beaubien and her little chihuahua Ricky Bobby have been looking for a place where the nine-year-old rescue dog could practise hanging out with canines his size.
There's no dedicated park space in St. Albert for small dogs like Ricky, so Beaubien said it's been difficult to find areas where her furry companion could just relax and be himself.
When she found out St. Albert city council agreed to bring an area for small dogs to Lacombe Lake, she said the news was just what she was hoping for.
"I'm really excited, I hope it happens," Beaubien, a St. Albert resident, said.
On Feb. 16, Coun. Jacquie Hansen brought forward a motion directing administration to bring in a dedicated area for small dogs at the Lacombe Lake dog park. This service level change would be funded through the stabilization reserve.
"This is something that people have been talking about to me since I became a councillor ... and I think there is a legitimate concern for not only the safety of small dogs but the safety of people," Hansen said. "It's not because anyone's not controlling their dogs, it's just the nature of dogs themselves and how they run around."
Larger dogs tend to play in a rough-and-tumble kind of way, which could cause injuries to small dogs playing in the same off-leash area. Hansen said she had read up on experts in the field who have recommended small dogs and large dogs be kept separate in these areas whenever possible.
Seniors who want to visit dog parks could also feel nervous when around larger breeds, she said.
"I feel like this is an opportunity to get as many people out to parks as possible, but do it in a very safe way."
The motion passed in a 5-2 vote, with councillors Natalie Joly and Ken MacKay against. Both councillors had questioned whether more planning was needed, but Hansen said she was looking to speed up some processes.
Daniele Podlubny, city community recreation manager, said this area for small dogs would be the first of its kind in St. Albert. Though the project is currently in the planning stages, she said the area would be an enclosed, fenced-in area within the Lacombe Lake park.
"We haven't had a small dog park area in St. Albert to date, and this will be a new addition to our dog park offering," Podlubny said.
Through research and looking at what other municipalities have done in the region, staff are now trying to figure out how big the area would be, costs involved, specific location and what amenities to include, she said. After going through those final stages of approval, development could start as early as this fall.
"We're planning for development in 2021, but we have to walk through these first stages first," she said.
Beaubien adopted Ricky just over a year ago from the Edmonton Humane Society, rescuing him from a life on the streets. Together, they would go to the small dog park at the society so Ricky could practice his social skills.
"He's still nervous meeting other dogs, so we were regularly going to the small dog park where he was learning those skills. But then through COVID, they closed the parks, so he hasn't been able to do any of his training," Beaubien said.
She said she was considering bringing Ricky to the Lacombe Lake park, but was worried about how he would react. Ricky's got some doggie friends on the trails, she said, but he barks when meeting other dogs for the first time. When he's off-leash, Ricky has no problem introducing himself.
Now, Beaubien said she's looking forward to bringing Ricky to the park once it opens.
"He can just be his bossy little chihuahua self, like, 'I've got this! This is my park!'"
