Newly off-leash dog park opens in Mowbray

MOWBRAY residents and visitors to the area will now have a safe space to play with dogs after a new dog park opened in Sawkins Road, Mowbray, on Thursday.

The Sawkins Road Dog Park is a joint initiative between the City of Cape Town and the Little Mowbray Rosebank Improvement District (LMRID).

The fencing will be provided and maintained by LMRID, while the City’s Recreation and Parks Department will maintain the dog park.

The dog park also includes trees donated by residents, as well as play apparatus for dogs.

Subcouncil 16 chairperson, Matthew Kempthorne, said the area was initially an abandoned space, which included anti-social behaviour and illegal dumping.

“The community has worked with the city to turn this into a unique off-leash dog park for the benefit of all the residents and residents of the greater Cape Town area,” he said.

LMRID director of safety and security, Dave Sivertson, said there are many open parks in the area, so they were looking for a space they could enclose and make it safe for everyone to use.

“Whether you are a dog owner or not, you can come to this park and relax. We have trees planted here, and play equipment. We are looking at adding hoops and platforms for the dogs,” he said. 

Sivertson said they have transformed a public open space, which could have become a problem site, into a safe public open space for everyone to use.

Ward 57 councillor Yusuf Mohamed said this is a unique space for the area, as it did not have a dedicated space enclosed where residents could take their dogs off their leashes.

“All dogs have to be on a leash in open public spaces, so this is a space where dog owners and their dogs can have a great time. This is a community space that can now be used for community benefit,” he said.

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Cape Argus