Past

We’ve come a long way!

Our group has its origins back in the fall of 2006 when various people met with the city council and put forward the idea of having an off-leash dog park in the Santa Ynez Valley. This small group of people put out the word that there would be another meeting in front of the Buellton City Council and several more people decided to get involved. It was at this time that we started meeting more formally and became more organized.

Our first official committee meeting saw Ray Mayer and Bobbie Sibbert named as co-chairs. Jackie Gotchall served as secretary. We came up with some plans for moving the process forward and we were able to make presentations and proposals in front of both the Buellton City Council and Solvang City Council. We were able to fill council chambers on three separate occasions. We had volunteers set up petition tables and go to the homes of people for signatures. We were able to present the City Councils of both Cities with over 1000 signatures in support of having off-leash dog parks in the valley. The process stalled and we decided to focus our energies on trying for a park in Buellton first. Buellton City Council requested that our committee form a non-profit to work with the City.

That is how PAWS Parks of Santa Ynez Valley Inc was started. The City eventually agreed to partner with PAWS and voted to allow the Sharon Place park to be used as a fenced in, off-leash, dog park. Bids went out and Kenny Construction was awarded the bid to build the Park. The ground breaking ceremony was held on March 14th, 2009, on a very brisk winter morning. PAWS Park was officially dedicated and opened on August 1, 2009 with the following dedication and invite from the President of PAWS, Ray Mayer:

“Ladies, gentleman and all dogs big and small, let it be proclaimed this first day of August 2009, PAWS Park was dedicated to Human’s best friend. May this park have the benefit of making our dogs happier and healthier.”

Present

Welcome to PAWS Park – An Off-Leash Dog Park

PAWS Park is the Santa Ynez Valley’s only off-leash dog park. The park is completely fenced with two separate areas: one for small paws and one for large paws. We are a non-profit corporation and rely on donations from our supporters and work from our volunteers to keep PAWS Park a safe and friendly place for our furry four-footed canines to run and romp. Our pro-active board strives to make improvements, buy maintenance equipment, and eventually provide ground cover.

We hope you will return to our web site often. Read the news and announcements, check on scheduled work days, or just browse through the Photos.

Future

…but we’re not done yet!

We depend on donations from fellow dog lovers to make improvements to the park. We rely on volunteers to maintain the park. Also, we trust those who use the facility to leave it in good condition. If you find any problems, feel free to email us so repairs can be made. We hope to add ground cover to help with weed abatement. Tumbled wood chips are a likely candidate for that. Some of you have asked for more benches in the park.

All those improvements take $$$ to complete. With your support, the park will continue to improve.