PORTSMOUTH — If you can’t wait until spring to bring your pooch to Portsmouth’s first off-leash dog park, don’t fret.
The Portsmouth Dog Park Planning Committee has scheduled two preview days on Saturday, Dec. 10 and 17, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. In the event of rain, the park will be open on the two Sundays, Dec. 11 and 18.
After each preview day, the wear and tear on the park’s new grass will be assessed before any additional preview days are scheduled. The committee hopes the park will be open on a daily basis from dawn to dusk beginning in April 2017.
Owners can give their dogs a romp in the park either before or after having pet photos with Santa at Domina’s Agway on East Main Road Dec. 10 or 17. The Agway event benefits both the Potter League for Animals and the Portsmouth Dog Park.
Getting there
You can access the dog park from West Main Road by Bradford Avenue, which is next to Melville Elementary School, and continuing past the campground to Smith Road. Turn right on Smith Road and the dog park is on your left, just past the Melville Park entrance.
You can also get there from Stringham Road (at the traffic light at Dunkin’ on West Main Road), continuing past the Navy housing. Take a right on Sullivan, left on Bradford and right on Smith.
There is onsite parking for 10 vehicles, and additional parking is available along Smith Road. (Your GPS will not take you to the dog park, as Smith Road is not formally registered yet as a legitimate road; enter “Melville Ponds Campground” instead.)
Members of the Dog Park Planning Committee hope to be there during the preview days to solicit feedback and suggestions. Currently there are no benches installed for sitting at the dog park. A temporary water supply will be available for the dogs.
From the observation walkway, visitors can view either the large or small dog areas without actually being inside them.
More information can be found at www.portsmouthdogpark.com or on Facebook.