rollingwooddogpark.org

rollingwooddogpark.orgrollingwooddogpark.orgrollingwooddogpark.org

rollingwooddogpark.org

rollingwooddogpark.orgrollingwooddogpark.orgrollingwooddogpark.org

Help Us Build a World Class Dog Park at Hatley Field

Help Us Build a World Class Dog Park at Hatley FieldHelp Us Build a World Class Dog Park at Hatley FieldHelp Us Build a World Class Dog Park at Hatley Field
Sign The Petition

Welcome to The RW Dog Park

Our Mission

The Rollingwood Dog Park Alliance is dedicated to creating a safe and fun environment for dogs and their owners, in harmony with youth sports. Our mission is to create dedicated spaces for both a dog park and youth sports at Hatley Field. The updated park can be a central location for both groups to build community together. 


Our goal is to get a discussion of a dedicated dog park on the agenda for the November 18th, 2025 Parks Commission meeting. We'd also love community participation during that meeting!


Sign the petition! https://form.jotform.com/252966701596166

Advantages of a Dedicated Dog Park

 

  • Dogs are pack animals and tend to cluster as they play
  • Can add seating and amenities that will not have to be removed
  • Won’t have limited access on nicest evenings and weekends of the year
  • Can be positioned closer to the field House and community
  • Can create more established shade
  • Can include nature play features in keeping with the RW rustic vibe

Sign the petition! https://form.jotform.com/252966701596166

Disadvantages of using ball fields as a dog park

  • Pet waste transmits disease and is unpleasant to those who come in contact
  • Larger area makes it harder to both see and walk to clean up poop
  • Larger area is harder to provide shade
  • Larger area attracts more visitors and cars and less control over rules
  • Shared space creates negative consequences for the ball fields when dogs are not present (dog waste, damaged turf)

Sign the petition! https://form.jotform.com/252966701596166

Rollingwood Dog Park Vision

Designing the dog park at Hatley fields

We have the opportunity to design a park around the dog-specific needs of our dog community! 

The following are ideas that can be proposed to the Parks Commission.

No Time Restrictions

No more compromising your schedule around youth sports. A dedicated dog park would mean accessing the dog park during the same hours as youth sports.

Separate Areas for Different Dog Sizes

Divide the park into sections for small (under 30 lbs) and large dogs to prevent injuries from mismatched play styles, which can be a problem in unstructured spaces like ball fields. Allocate space roughly 70/30 in favor of larger dogs for optimal use.

Add Engaging Play Features

Incorporate agility equipment like ramps, tunnels, hurdles, and weave poles to provide mental and physical stimulation, turning the park into a fun destination rather than just an open field. Unique additions like splash pads or themed structures (e.g., fake fire hydrants or ball-dispensing trees) can further boost appeal and encourage longer visits.

Incorporate Comfort Amenities

Include dog-specific water fountains (stainless steel to avoid disease), shade structures or trees, and benches for owners to socialize comfortably, especially in varying weather—features often missing from ball fields. Add accessible surfacing like engineered wood fiber or synthetic turf to prevent mud and improve usability year-round.

Foster Community and Events

Position the park as a social hub by hosting events like adoption days, training seminars, or fundraisers, which build a sense of community and encourage repeat visits over solitary ball field outings. Partner with local pet businesses for sponsorships or donations to enhance features.

Sign The Petition!

https://form.jotform.com/252966701596166

Frequently Asked Questions

 Yes the deed  allows for a dedicated dog park.

The warranty deed conveys the 8.934-acre property (Hatley Park) to the City of Rollingwood for use as a park, with restrictions focused on preserving and prioritizing athletic fields (e.g., baseball/softball, football/soccer) for youth sports associations in the Eanes Independent School District area. The overall property must be used for park and recreational purposes consistent with maintaining those athletic fields, which can be reconfigured or multi-use at the city's discretion.

  • On the ball fields: The deed emphasizes preservation of the existing athletic fields and gives priority to specified youth sports. It does not explicitly address dogs or off-leash use (DOLA, or Dog Off-Leash Area). While secondary uses might be possible when not conflicting with priority athletic activities, allowing off-leash dogs on the fields could potentially be seen as inconsistent with the required maintenance and upkeep for sports, though the deed leaves such determinations to the city.
  • Separate enclosed dog park to the side: The deed explicitly allows the "balance" of the property (areas not used for athletic fields) to be used for other park and recreational purposes, as determined solely by the city. A separately enclosed dog park would likely qualify as a recreational use and is not excluded or restricted by the deed (beyond a specific .9-acre tract prohibited from on-site wastewater systems, which doesn't apply here).

In summary, the deed neither mandates nor prohibits dogs in any form—it focuses on recreational consistency with athletic priorities—and does not create the distinction described in your question. Current practices at Hatley Park (e.g., reported off-leash use on fields) appear to stem from city policies or ordinances rather than this 1993 deed. For the latest rules, check Rollingwood city resources or recent council agendas discussing dog leash ordinances.

Grok’s opinion: The agreement is somewhat fair but tilted in favor of the city, providing mutual benefits but imposing higher financial burdens and risks on the lessees than market norms. It aligns with standards in areas like maintenance splits and insurance but deviates in rent (unusually high for non-profits), required investments, and one-sided indemnification. For youth non-profits serving the community, cities typically offer more subsidies to avoid straining volunteer-run organizations.

From a health perspective, allowing off-leash dogs on ball fields dedicated to youth sports introduces notable risks, primarily related to zoonotic diseases that can transmit from dogs to humans, especially children who are more vulnerable due to their play behaviors like rolling on grass or putting hands in mouths. The main concerns stem from dog feces and urine, which can contain pathogens even if owners clean up promptly, as residues often linger in soil or turf.

Key health risks include:

  • Parasitic infections: Dog feces frequently harbor parasites like roundworms (Toxocara spp.), hookworms, whipworms, and protozoa such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium. These can spread to humans via accidental ingestion of contaminated soil or grass, leading to toxocariasis (which may cause fever, abdominal pain, organ inflammation, or in rare cases, vision loss or blindness) or gastrointestinal issues like diarrhea and vomiting. Children are 3-5 times more susceptible due to higher exposure rates. Studies show up to 50% of dog feces in off-leash areas contain such parasites.
  • Bacterial infections: Pathogens like Salmonella, Campylobacter, and E. coli can transmit similarly, causing symptoms such as fever, cramps, nausea, and severe dehydration, with heightened risks for immunocompromised kids.
  • Other concerns: Less common but possible are respiratory infections or allergies from dander, though infectious diseases from waste are the primary issue. Physical risks like bites exist but fall more under safety than pure health.

Mitigation is possible but challenging in shared spaces. Best practices include requiring owners to pick up waste immediately, providing bags and disposal stations, scheduling dog use during non-youth hours, enforcing deworming and vaccinations for dogs, and promoting handwashing. However, even with these, compliance is often low, and contamination persists. Many cities prohibit dogs on youth fields entirely for these reasons, with examples like Philadelphia imposing fines up to $2,000 or Raleigh banning them to avoid hazards.

Overall, from a health standpoint, this isn't safe or a good idea for shared use, as the risks to children outweigh benefits unless the areas are fully separated or strictly managed—which is hard to enforce consistently. Consider designating separate dog areas instead.

The City of Austin established a minimum of 10,000 sq ft (0.23 acres) for DOLAs https://www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Parks/offleashareas/DOLA-Guidelines-2023.pdf


Grok's opinion: A reasonable dog park size for a city the size of Rollingwood would be 0.25 to 0.5 acres  https://grok.com/c/f6d6d3b6-d7a6-4fc9-8e5b-26fd3a8ffb6e


Contact Us

Drop us a line!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

rollingwooddogpark.org

Rollingwood, tx

Copyright © 2025 rollingwooddogpark.org - All Rights Reserved.

Powered by

This website uses cookies.

We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.

Accept