When Andrew Tait bought his property in Wolseley, he never planned to turn his land into a dog park. He just wanted to make sure his mixed-breed dog, Charlie, was abiding by the town’s bylaws.

The town’s animal control bylaw bans dogs from roaming off their owner’s property unless leashed, so Tait began building a fence to keep Charlie within the acre his house sits on and the two acres behind it.

“So the idea, though, was I’m going to fence all this area anyways. It would be a great opportunity to have a completely fenced-in area, [and] help offset the cost of the fence,” he said.

Tait estimates the cost of buying and installing the fencing to be $12,000 to $15,000.

Once it is finished, the fence will leave Tait with plenty of enclosed space. He sees it as a natural fit for a dog park that any dog owner could use, not just Charlie. 

“It also becomes a community service type thing. It’s an opportunity to meet some of my neighbours. To me, it’s just a nice thing to have. And if I’ve got the property in the area to do it, why not?” he said.

Tait posted his property on Sniffspot, a website where users can rent private yards and fenced land by the hour.

Users cannot book through the platform yet as Tait has not fully installed the fencing. He posted the property to gauge interest in the dog park.

He said the feedback has been encouraging.

“I’ve had a couple of inquiries from highway travellers that are looking to stop, see the beautiful touristy town that Wolseley is, and have a place for their dogs to run around,” said Tait.

He added, “And then I’ve had a couple of people in town [say], ‘Oh yeah, that’d be great because there’s no off-leash park in town.’”

Tait uses the two acres behind his house for agriculture.

He owns a Jersey milking cow that he plans to keep on his property during the summer, and a garden which his neighbour uses. That use fits the land’s agricultural zoning.

Whether a pay-to-use dog park fits within that zoning is a question up for debate.

Wolseley Mayor Gerald Hill said the property would need to be rezoned if the park is considered a commercial operation.

“It would be a matter of turning it into commercial,” Hill said, adding that the town’s administrator would be able to say whether rezoning is needed.

Tait considers it differently. He does not believe the property would need to be rezoned and instead sees the dog park as an agricultural practice.

“To me, it’s zoned ag [agricultural] land,” he said. “You’re allowed to have animals.”

“It’s a fenced-in ag area. You’re having an animal for a stay… That doesn’t necessarily indicate a commercial purpose,” he added. “A commercial purpose would be like a storefront retail outlet.”

Tait has not officially applied to town council for permission to open the park. He acknowledged council could see his plans differently.

“Council may have a different opinion, and, well, we could have that discussion,” he said.

Tait is also facing an additional obstacle from those around his property. He said a neighbour has already complained about Charlie, who howls at passing trains running through town.

“It drives my neighbour nuts,” he said.

But he believes the park is worth the trouble. 

He said the park would benefit Wolseley as a whole, not just the people who use it. 

“You know, are they going to Grenfell? [Are] they going to Indian Head? Well, they can stop in Wolseley, and they get a dog park,” he said. “So I think it actually becomes a net positive for the town.” 

Feature Image: Andrew standing in the soon-to-be dog park.