By Elsa Hasenzahl

Staff Writer

Commons Photos by Elsa Hasenzahl

Had my roommate decided not to purchase her 90-pound hound from the animal shelter last fall, I would have never discovered one of Carrboro’s neatest spots for people and canines alike. Turns out the people of Carrboro are fond of their dogs.

Carrboro’s dog park is found at Anderson Community Park, located off Highway 54 and minutes from the Carrboro Plaza shopping center. Over the past few months, I have gone with my roommate to the dog park frequently, with each visit being equally entertaining. Dogs, once past the gated entrance, can run freely without a leash and play with each other in almost 3 acres of freedom. My roommate’s hound Hooch always likes to introduce himself to the crowd, last week sporting a plastic chicken toy, which he adamantly refused to share with other dogs. Most dogs tend to be friendly, introducing themselves with a little tail wag and hand lick.

While the dogs are off running around, their owners can be found mingling in small groups, commenting on subjects like their own dog’s peculiarities or about the surprisingly warm weather for this time of winter. One of the best parts about the dog park is the opportunity to meet not just dogs, but people of all ages. The variety of visitors was astounding, as I expected to see mostly a middle-aged crowd.

The experience becomes whatever you make of it: while it is easy to find a group of people to chat with, it’s just as easy to find a sunny spot for light reading. I once brought a blanket to lay on that was quickly soiled with muddy paw prints from curious dogs — I’d recommend one of the benches in the park for reading endeavors.

The park is entertaining with the multitude of dogs running around, but the experience becomes more than just letting your dog get an afternoon of exercise. There is a strong sense of community to be found at the Anderson Community Dog Park, and a perfect location to meet fellow dog lovers, of which there are many. I’ve even found myself wanting to visit the park dog-less, just to see the pups run around and make friends as if they were children at a school playground. The park is open from dawn to dusk, and the dog park rules can be found at http://www.ci.carrboro.nc.us/pd/PDFs/DogParkRules.pdf.