October 1, 2018
Lee Fuller
I had the opportunity to sit down with the Jacksonville Parks and Recreation (PARD) Superintendent, Janis Burns. Ms. Burns and I discussed one of the hidden gems of Jacksonville, the Germania Springs Dog Park. The dog park was a special “pet” project for Ms. Burns and was inspired simply by seeing the success of other such parks in larger cities as well as in the news. Ms. Burns wanted to see that the residents of Jacksonville also enjoyed the same benefits of our larger counterparts. It took a few meetings with the City’s Planning Board, but eventually they agreed that this was indeed a positive addition to Germania Springs already lovely setting.
Many of the local residents showed up for the grand opening, including a few board members, with their pets. Since its successful opening and continued usage by the community, there has been a lot of positive feedback. Ms. Burns went on to say that she wanted to make sure that the success of the dog park is largely credited to the incredible maintenance crew of the Jacksonville PARD. This crew worked tirelessly to not just go out and buy equipment, but also purchased the raw materials and hand built each and every obstacle available for the dogs, with the exception of the tires. This team works hard on all projects. This has included building a Blinko game from scratch for the local fall festivals, to the creative dog obstacles at the dog park. Their tasks are not limited to simply keeping the grounds clean, but to also maintain the integrity of the parks themselves. This eleven person crew is really the reason the dog park continues to be such a success with their hard work and willingness to step outside of their normal duties.
The City did agree to pay to have a professional fencing company come in to install and inspect that the fence and to insure that it would be secure. This included a double fenced entrance so visitors don’t have to worry about their furry friends escaping while others are coming in or leaving.
Since the parks grand opening roughly three years ago, there have been no major issues or complaints other than the doggie waste bags occasionally running out. Again this is largely credited to the maintenance crew who, in truth, makes all of PARD and Jacksonville look good.
While Germania Springs has been around since at least the 80’s, this new addition has made it even more desirable for a community that loves their pets. If you and your pet have not had a chance to enjoy this nice retreat, please make it a part of your next doggie day out!
