Parks and Pets: Animal-Friendly Programs to Grow Community

Public parks are a core part of Americans’ lives, with the average U.S. resident visiting their local parks and recreation facilities 22 times each year. In addition to being a hub for socializing, parks bring communities a host of mental and physical health benefits. Why not extend these benefits to more members of your community—and their four-legged companions?

Animal-friendly programs and events can attract new visitors to your parks and keep regular visitors engaged by appealing to their interests. To make these projects a success, carefully plan and prepare for hosting a variety of pets and activities at your facilities. 

In this guide, we’ll explore best practices for animal-friendly park events as well as a list of ideas to get you started. Get ready to tell your patrons they don’t have to leave their pets at dog daycare for their next visit—let’s begin!

Best Practices for Animal-Friendly Park Events

While your parks and recreation staff likely have experience running events, getting animals involved can introduce new challenges and considerations. To keep attendees safe and happy, follow best practices like:

• Setting clear, firm guidelines. Establish rules for pets and owners to follow to prevent potential conflicts. For example, you might require leashes, an up-to-date vaccine record, and basic training. Share these rules in the registration process and send out reminders ahead of the event.
• Requiring advanced registration. Because these programs can involve more stringent guidelines, it’s safest to require advance registration rather than accepting walk-ins. This gives participants the time they need to submit vet records, waivers, and any other documents.
• Provide adequate facilities. Prepare your facilities accordingly by offering plenty of shelter, water, and waste disposal sites. Depending on the weather, you may need to set up tents for shade, fans, or outdoor heaters.
• Plan for emergencies. Have professionals on-site to take care of injuries, both for humans and animals. Consider having a member of animal control or an animal behaviorist attend in case there are any conflicts between pets.
• Collaborate with local animal organizations. Share the spotlight with local shelters and other animal-focused organizations to spread awareness of their cause and help them find new supporters while boosting community happiness. For example, a shelter could hold an adoption event at your park to help more animals find loving homes.

Don’t forget to look for additional support from businesses in your community when organizing these programs. After all, who doesn’t love supporting animal-related causes? 360MatchPro recommends seeking out corporate sponsorships, through which your organization can receive donations that offset the cost of events or new programs.

Top Programming Ideas for Animal Lovers

With those best practices in mind, select an idea and begin the event-planning process. The following ideas center around three themes: education, fundraising, and lighthearted recreation. 

Use data about your visitors to choose the one that would most resonate with them, or consider a mix of the three.

Training Sessions

Many pet parents are eager to teach their dogs fun new tricks or work on their obedience skills. Basics training is essential to dog ownership, keeping them and their owners safe, strengthening their bond with humans, and improving their behavior.

To get started, hire a certified, experienced dog trainer or see if a trainer from a local business is willing to offer their service for free. Charge visitors per session to offset any costs. Offer the following types of training sessions to accommodate a variety of owner needs:

• Basic obedience training. Teach fundamental commands to improve behavior. These might include sit, stay, come, heel, and down, all of which keep dogs, other animals, and people out of dangerous situations.
• Socialization classes. Puppy owners know the importance of exposing their dogs to other people and animals during the early stages of their lives. These classes facilitate that interaction in a controlled environment with expert help, typically offering structured introductions, playtime, and education on managing future interactions.
• Trick training. Offer this class for dogs who already know basic commands and are ready to learn more lighthearted tricks. Teach commands like shake, roll over, play dead, and more to provide mental stimulation and strengthen pet-owner bonds.
• Retrieval. Many dogs already know how to play fetch, but these sessions will tighten up their skills and incorporate specific commands into the process. Again, this can help keep dogs safe if they’re fetching in dog parks or near roads.

Remember that these skills often take time and consistent practice for dogs to learn. For best results, offer regular training sessions your park visitors can register for. Use your park management system or pair it with specialized pet scheduling software to manage bookings and class capacity.

Pet-Themed Fundraising Events

Your park may already hold fundraising events to garner extra funding for your department or raise money to benefit other causes in your community. Allowing people to get their pets involved is a great way to boost excitement around the campaign.

Animal lovers may take a special interest in fundraising events like these:

• Dog-friendly walk-a-thon. A walk-a-thon is a type of charity race in which participants are encouraged to walk rather than run or jog, making them an excellent choice for families and pet owners. Plan out a scenic route in your park and have supporters register to walk with their leashed or stroller-riding pets.
• Dog wash. This event is a fun twist on classic car wash fundraisers—the only difference is that your volunteers will be washing dogs (and maybe some well-behaved cats)! Recruit volunteers from local dog grooming businesses who can provide the proper equipment and experience. Then, have supporters make a donation to have their pet groomed.
• Pet costume contest. Have pet owners dress their animals up in fun costumes and get together for a contest. Charge for each entry and offer fun prizes to the winners. Consider holding this event in the fall as a Halloween celebration.

Market your event ahead of time to attract participants. Create engaging email campaigns, social media posts, and print media to post at your park. Include key logistical details and instructions on how to register.

Recreational Activities

Regular exercise is key to dogs’ long-term health and happiness, as it mitigates health risks, keeps unwanted behaviors at bay, improves sleep quality, and even boosts confidence. Plus, these activities help get their owners outside and active.

When holding outdoor, physical activities, focus on safety first. Gingr’s guide to dog daycare activities reminds organizers to have enough qualified personnel available to keep an eye on temperatures, offer plenty of water, and use secure leashes or harnesses.

Programs that can motivate pets and owners to get active include:

• Hikes. If your park has trails, organize a group hike and invite four-legged friends along. Vet the trails ahead of time to ensure they are in good condition and will be accessible to dogs.
• Agility courses. Put together agility courses with hurdles, ramps, and hoops for an enriching experience. While you could purchase these materials, try to be creative and incorporate playground equipment or repurpose items you already have (e.g., fashioning a tube for dogs to run through from an old trash can).
• Swimming. Does your park have a lake or creek that’s safe for swimming? Pick out a sunny day to have a swimming event with dogs and their owners. Share any rules for the water beforehand and have a lifeguard on duty.
• Canine fitness classes. Try out dog yoga or other structured exercise courses. These may incorporate a training element and require a bit of practice from animals and owners, but they’re a fun way to encourage movement.

These events are often free or low-cost for your park—all you need is your existing facilities! This makes it easy to fit these health-promoting programs into your park’s budget.

Animal lovers are passionate about their pets, and they love to get them involved in their lives. Why not allow them and their furry companions to take full advantage of your park and its services? With pet-friendly programs, you’ll make it easy for them to share experiences, bond, and create memories at your park.