Dog Parks

Rocwiki Field Dog Sashimi Takahashi exploring Tryon Park.

Rochester's first official, off-leash dog park is located in the Greece Canal Park. Dog parks are also planned for Ellison Park, Durand Eastman Park, and Genesee Valley Park. See the sites below for more info. The location in Greece Canal Park (and presumably those yet to open) are "community regulated", i.e. there is no authority figure in the park and rules are enforced by fellow park goers. All dogs must be licensed and registered at the Parks Department office at 171 Reservoir Ave (in Highland Park).

It remains to be seen if the establishment of official dog parks leads to a greater number of citations being issued to those who allow their dogs to wander our parks unleashed, which is common practice in Monroe County with little currently done to discourage it.

Information Sites

• The Monroe County Dog Park Info Page provides information about the parks, registration, and other rules. You may also make a tax deductible donation through the "Adopt a Fence" program with plaques for larger donors.
  

• Friends of the Monroe County Dog Parks - information and Donations Page
  

• Rochester Dog Park group on Yahoo Groups allows you to keep up to date on the upcoming dog parks - visit or join the group.

Dog owners still tend to congregate in other areas throughout the county. To be perfectly clear: Legally dogs must be leashed in these areas however it is common to see people violating this law. Below is a list of popular locations:

• In Ellison Park there seems to be a "Dog Beach" as visible on this satellite photo.
  

• In Mendon Ponds the beach area is always popular.
  

• Tryon Park has 82 acres of woods for your dog to run through.
  

• Cobbs Hill Park is also a popular destination.
  

• The beach at Durand-Eastman Park is a nice spot for a walk.
  

• Washington Grove is a small wooded area with loop paths and a great combination of flat paths surrounded by steep hills. It is at the end of Nunda Blvd off of Winton Road—it is the back end of Cobb's Hill Park. Here's a Google map.

Comments:

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2005-11-20 20:54:56   Watch out for kennel cough at dog parks! —HeatherYager

2006-01-24 02:15:42   Be on the alert at Durand-Eastman! Our dog was recently kicked very hard by a man who said he was bringing mace next time. Our dog walked up to him wagging his tail and we told him verbally that he was friendly beforehand. Afterwards the man (a thin older man) complained about the dog poop, that when he jogged there dogs have nipped at his heels in the past, and that the 3 year old that was with them had been knocked down twice in the past. None of this was by any of the dogs present, he just decided to take it out on ours. :-( Don't hesitate to call the police on this man for Animal Cruelty, the law on Physical Abuse is clearly against him. (see my blog for more info) —TravisHardiman

2007-08-17 13:18:26   Where on earth can you take your dog to an enclosed space around Rochester to play? We're driving our new lab puppy to Syracuse when we want to let her run (the Wegman's Good Dog Park is awesome). Any suggstions for safe off-leash puppy time? —KatrinaFromRochester

2007-08-25 16:36:20   *Upcoming event to raise funds for fenced in off-leash dog parks in Monroe County.

Paws in the Park Dog Walk will have a Big Dog (3 mile) and Small Dog (1 mile) walk. There will be a DJ, agility demonstrations, door prizes, vendors and more.
The walk is Sunday, September 23rd, 2007 at the Roundhouse Pavilion, Genesee Valley Park. Registration begins at 10:00am and the walk will start at 11:00am. All proceeds will go directly to the dog parks. Please bring your dog to this event to raise funds for a great cause. If you have further questions about this event or would like a pledge form, please email: mcdogwalk@gmail.com

As an active member of Friends of the Monroe County Dog Parks I am happy to answer any questions you may have about the dog parks. I would also be interested in other comments or thoughts on the dog parks. We also have a newsgroup at yahoo where we share information (rochesterdogparkgroup in yahoogroups) if you would like to keep up to date on our efforts. —AbbyBaisley

2007-09-24 10:06:40   Anyone have any good suggestion for places to walk a dog on pavement?

I skateboard with my dog and Cobb's Hill would be great except for the fact that anything with wheels is not allowed on the path next to the reservoir and the roads are a bit too hilly and have cars on them anyway. Ellison's paved paths are too rocky and sandy.
***Edit — 12/27/07 — New info: Rollerblades may be allowed at the park. It seems there may be a city wide ordinance against skateboarding, but not rollerblading. Also of note, I have seen several people skateboarding on the Cobb's Hill Res. path without being hassled by the cops who were close by.
Thanks in advance. —BadFish

2008-12-14 15:17:42   We take our dog to Ellison Park and, as far as we can tell, he loves it. He gets to sniff, poop, run and swim. You really can't ask for much more than that. —BatGuano

2009-03-07 23:42:46   Washington Grove is undergoing a restoration due to severe erosion of trails and other issues related to invasive species, depletion of understory and problems with the regenerative health of the current oaks. Please avoid running dogs off leash while the grove undergoes this important restoration. Thanks. —doodadmen

2010-02-10 09:27:04   I live about two miles down the road from Durand-Eastman Park and use it several times per week, all year round. My complaint, however, is the irresponsible dog owners who use the park, as well. Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVE dogs and most animals; I have two dogs who I love like my children, and BOTH of whom I LEASH when I bring there, even though they are the friendliest hounds in the world. Let's get this straight, DURAND EASTMAN IS NOT A DOG PARK!!! Yes, it is thought of as such but it is ILLEGAL TO WALK YOUR DOG/S OFF LEASH REGARDLESS OF THE SEASON!!!. I am not afraid of dogs, but when I am jogging and I come upon a group of 2-10 people walking their dogs, I am not fond of being jumped on or barked/growled when I am minding my own business and trying to get some exercise. What's worse, however, is that these groups of people block the entire path road, run in all directions to leash their unleashed dogs (which cut me off, as well, BECAUSE THEY ARE ILLEGALLY OFF LEASH). ALSO, I am tired of stepping in dog poop that these same irresponsible owners are too lazy, uncaring, and selfish to pick up. Furthermore, I have been rushed by American bulldogs, bull mastiffs, German Shepherds, rottweilers etc., and even though I put up with it (because I realize it's not the dogs' fault,but rather their irresponsible and selfish owners), I know that many people are afraid of dogs, and children could be and have been knocked over by them. Just because you know your dog is friendly does not mean strangers will automatically feel at ease just by you pathetically saying "he's/she's friendly"; think of other people who use the park, and don't ruin things for responsible, smart dog owners. For those of you dog owners who are thoughtful, responsible, and law-abiding, this rant is obviously not toward you, just to the ignorant, selfish, irresponsible dog owners. I saw a lady get a ticket for having her rottweiler and German Shepherd off their leashes deep in the park (Log Cabin Road), and I was applauding the cop for punishing her for this careless, selfish habit. —phaceless