City dealing with dog park complaints

New Prague city staff has received complaints this month about the dog park at 701 12th St. NE, specifically about the tall grass, estimated by some residents to be three-feet high, in the large dog area. City staff is considering how best to deal with the situation.

City Planning and Community Development Director Ken Ondich said last week the city received several comments/calls about the dog park. The majority of the comments/calls were about the tall grass in the large dog area. One resident’s concern with the tall grass was that they were unable to see to clean up after their dog, two didn’t like the tall grass due to wood ticks being in it and being unable to see their dogs. Another complaint was not being able to see a ball that they throw for the dog to fetch.

Ondich said there are two areas for the dog park, one is for small dogs, which covers 12,000 square feet or about .27 acres, and is about 60-feet by 200-feet. The grass in the area is fully mowed, which the New Prague Park Board had recommended last year. Ondich is concerned how dog droppings are not being picked up very well in the area for small dogs.

The dog park’s bigger area is for large dogs and is 142,000 square feet or about 3.26 acres, with its dimensions about 165-feet wide by 900-feet long, said Ondich. This area has a wood chip trail, a 72-inch-wide path where the grass is mowed near the path, noted Ondich.

He said the park board had discussed whether or not to mow the entire area or just mow the area near the path. The park board discussed it at its February 14, 2023 meeting and its July 9, 2024 meeting, but...

To see more on this story pick up the July 3, 2025 print edition of The New Prague Times.