MELKSHAM’S four-legged friends have a new place to stretch their legs in King George V park.
A new off-lead dog area on the site of the former King George V play area, called the ‘dog bark’, was officially opened last week by Melksham’s mayor, cllr Jon Hubbard, and town council staff.
It replaces the park’s previous dog run, located next to the skate park, which was described as “too small” and “not fit for purpose”.
A town council spokesperson said, “Melksham Town Council is delighted that we have been able to deliver on a decision made by the asset management and amenities committee, to open a much larger ‘dog bark’ in our lovely central park where the dogs can run off-lead.
“Situated on the site of the old children’s play area, the section of land is already fenced in and can be prone to flooding, so it made sense to hand this territory over to our four-legged friends.
“We have drawn up a set of rules and etiquette that we urge human visitors to the park to adhere to. These have been posted to Facebook for community discussion – and we urge dog owners to run these by your canine companions. Please remind all dogs that it is perfectly fine to sniff other dog’s bottoms, and to voice their feelings through barking. Owners, however, are gently reminded of Rule 3, ‘Your dog’s poo MUST be scooped and binned’.
“On leaving the dog bark, please ensure that your dog is back on its lead and behaving like a good little poochy!
“Unfortunately, it is bad news for cattle and livestock, By-law 4 of the 1875 bylaws for the King George V pleasure grounds which says, ‘A person shall not, except in pursuance of a lawful agreement with the council or otherwise in the exercise of any lawful right or privilege, bring or cause to be brought into the pleasure grounds any cattle, sheep, goats, pigs or any beast of draught or burden’. Apologies for any inconvenience!”
