Steve:
If you’re searching for Pawtucket Dog Park by looking for signs pointing you in the right direction, you’ll quickly find yourself lost. There are none.
The dog park is located within the large Slater Memorial Park, which is a beautiful place to spend a day off. Even while driving through the park, don’t bother looking for any signs indicating where you would find the dog park. Instead, follow the signs for Slater Park Lawn Bowling. Yes, this seems strange, but the park has replaced this venue.
The dog park is pretty deep within the park, so don’t worry about driving past it unless you come to the other side. Unlike most dog parks, Pawtucket has an actual parking lot, not just a dirt lot. It’s also the best looking and well-kept park I have seen in my travels.
The dog park has two sections; one for big dogs and one for small dogs, both of which are equal in area and a good size for your canine companion to run around. The fence is new and has no holes for even the smallest dogs to escape. The double gates on each side also make sure that pups don’t run off into the large Slater Park.
Unlike many other parks, the Pawtucket park has no grass. A new surface was put in that was mostly sand and gravel, and the patrons claim it’s easier to keep the dogs clean now.
Looking at the amenities, all I have to say is what doesn’t this place have? With clear signage explaining what is allowed and not allowed, a suggestion box, and a glass-case bulletin board, dog owners get all the information they need. Pawtucket even has the hard-to-find running water spigots. There’s one on either side of the small dog section and one at the back of the big dog section. A few patrons were nice enough to leave dog bowls to be shared with everyone else.
A dog owner also benefits from the very sturdy benches on either side of the park with plenty of shade for hot and sunny days. During the seasons with shorter days, the lights are turned on to illuminate the park at night.
The important part of Pawtucket Dog Park, allowing it to run so smoothly and at such a high rate of quality, is the fact that there’s a committee that runs the operation. They got a company to sponsor the park and donate poop bags, as well as make sure that the patrons’ voices are heard via said suggestion box.