DOGPAW 2024

Dogs must be on leash until the park is entered.

Park Improvement Days - Open to all - bring your friends and help make your park better

Other Community Events of Interest are also on our schedule!

Click HERE 2024 Upcoming Events schedule

IKE Fencing Goal Update

As of today's date, our IKE Fencing goal is getting closer to being reached! To help us achieve our target and provide a safe and secure environment for our furry friends, we kindly ask for donations from our generous supporters. Your contribution will make a significant difference in making our off-leash park even better for all dogs and their owners. Thank you for considering donating towards this exciting milestone!

Updated Financial Information will be coming!

Our Mission:

Dogs.

DOGPAW is a non-profit that maintains four off-leash dog parks in Clark County, Washington. Dog parks are a vital part of our community’s quality of life, giving dogs and their people places to run, walk, play, and thrive. Getting outside with your dog will make you both happier and healthier!

Why DOGPAW?

DOGPAW (Dog Owners Group for Park Access in Washington) passionately believes off-leash dog parks are valuable to the whole community…

COMMUNITY DRIVEN

With more than 103,000 dogs in Clark County (per Animal Control), having a place for dogs to safely run, socialize, and exercise is very important. Home lot sizes are dwindling, leaving not much room for dogs to play in their yard. “Seeing my pup’s abject joy when he sees his friends show up at the park fills me with the same joy,” says one park user. The dogs develop a community of friends in the parks, and so do the people. For many, their time each day at the park is their best quality time with their friends without the daily stressors of work. “Walking with my friends after work, watching the dogs having a blast…what more could I want?” says another proud doggie mom.

Volunteers join together on the first Saturday of each month to work at a selected park, pulling weeds, trimming bushes and trees, picking up stray poops, and filling holes. “It’s becoming a social event, and we are seeing groups getting together even when it’s not a park beautification day to help keep the parks clean and safe,” says Eileen, the current DOGPAW president. “Our volunteers are awesome, and we couldn’t keep the parks going without them.” Volunteers are a vital part of the organization, handling everything from office-type work to fundraising to equipment repairs. It is truly a community-based operation.

GREEN SPACE

“In 2005, Clark County voters approved the formation of the Greater Clark Parks District” (Littman, The Columbian, 7/3/2016). While DOGPAW parks are not included in the Greater Clark Parks District program, the vote shows how important residents of our gorgeous county feel parks and open green spaces are for our community and an active way of life.

HEALTHIER FAMILIES

Between excellent bonding time, fresh air, and as much exercise as you want to get, dogs and their humans enjoy better cardiovascular health. Studies have shown that 30-minute walks a day help with weight loss, lower blood pressure, and a stronger immune system, along with a lot of other health benefits—and your dog will enjoy those same benefits.

BETTER OUTCOMES

Well-socialized and well-exercised dogs make better neighbors. Studies have shown that dogs that get out daily for exercise for at least one-half hour will bark less, are easier to train, and are less destructive. Bored dogs get into trouble! Troublesome dogs end up being returned to shelters, creating a sad cycle.

Our Story

DOGPAW runs and maintains four off-leash parks in Clark County, Washington. Our parks are maintained by volunteers who give their time and energy to help maintain the parks as well as assistance from Clark County. Membership donations and business sponsorship pay for park upkeep. All of our off-leash dog parks are named after Vancouver and Clark County Police K-9s killed in the line of duty.

103k

Dogs living in Clark County

The latest numbers from Animal Control show that more than 103,000 dogs live in Clark County!

14+

Years Serving Clark County

DOGPAW officially received its non-profit 501(c)(3) status in 2005, and until recently, limited tax dollars supported the parks. In January of 2019, Clark County stepped up to help with some maintenance—such as mowing and dog waste removal—at three of the four parks. Ike, our largest park, is still fully maintained through volunteers and donations.

27+

Acres of fun

With 10+ acres at Ike, 8 acres at Dakota, 2+ at Kane, and 7+ at Lucky, our doggies have a lot of room to run, play, and thrive! Their humans enjoy the miles of trails through these beautiful parks, too!

Happiness is A Dog Park

Enjoying rain or shine at the dog park, we all like to watch a group of happy dogs, all kinds, cavorting and playing, running, chasing and being chased back and forth, tongues hanging out, with boundless energy, and I thought with a smile, ‘This is a dose of happiness’.

Where else can our animal companions go to have so much freedom, so much fun, and share camaraderie with other dogs? And sniffing, oh my!

We are very fortunate to have access to these parks, and to have an organization like DOGPAW to advocate for safe off-leash parks. DOGPAW is grateful to our dog-loving community, members, and sponsors, whose financial and volunteer support helps to keep our parks open.

Marty Rutkovitz

President, DOGPAW

Get Involved!

Join us for fun at the parks! Meet with friends for walks on flat trails at Kane, Lucky, and Dakota, or even good workouts by hitting the hills at Ike Memorial Park. No matter which park you choose, you can take an easy stroll or get a good cardio workout with your pup. We have a lot of ways to volunteer, business sponsorship opportunities, and projects planned for the future.

Event Calendar

Events like our Park Beautification Days and public meetings are listed here, and more can be found on our FaceBook page.

Events

Volunteer Opportunities

From office-type work to pulling weeds and other special projects, we have lots of opportunities for volunteering!

Volunteer

Make a Donation

Like most non-profit organizations, funding is always needed. Please consider donating, becoming a member, or even using smile.amazon.com for purchases with DOGPAW as your designated charity.

Donate