When Wheeling finished in second place in the Petsafe contest back in 2013, I remember being excited that my hometown was finally getting a dog park.
Sadly, by the time the park was built, I no longer had a dog to take to said park—divorce, not puppy death, thankfully.
Earlier today, I finally got the opportunity to take a dog to the Fitzsimmons Family Dog Park. My dog in fact. Okay, it’s our dog, but still, he’s part of the family now.
The story of how this lovable little guy came to us is interesting in and of itself, but that’s a tale for another day.
I get an hour for lunch on my job, so when lunchtime rolled around, we beat feet toward Wheeling and the dog park for some much-needed exercise. Our little guy is still a puppy (six months), and he had a lot of energy to burn off.
Never having gone to the park, I didn’t realize it was set up with two sides, one for large dogs and another for smaller dogs. The over/under the mark for large or big dogs is 30 pounds. Our little lab mix is still under 30 pounds, so we took him to the smaller side.
This time of day, the park was all but empty, save for a friendly bigger fella on the opposite side of the park.
There’s a list of more than reasonable rules posted as you enter either side of the park, and for some forgetful among us (i.e. me), there is also a doggy-bag dispenser to ensure park goers clean up after their pooches.
I snagged a couple, and we entered. When you don’t own a fenced-in yard, it’s nice to be able to let the little guy off the leash and let him stretch his legs. And stretch them he did. Our pupper has a pretty quick motor for also being, what I believe, is part beagle. It was fun to watch him run around the grass.
He’s still learning the concept of fetch, so tossing the few tennis balls we found inside the grounds was met with mixed results. Fortunately, the dog park also features a few bigger trees. Where there are trees, there are sticks. The stick was a huge hit, both for chewing and fetching purposes.
I also really appreciated the doggy water fountains complete with bowls. We were able to keep the water we brought in the car because the park provided access to a fresh supply. It’s a nice touch, again, especially for those forgetful amongst us.
Someone was quite happy to find and fetch the stick. 
The watering holes at the park are a huge bonus
The Layout
The larger portion of the park is 1.35 acres, while the portion for smaller puppers is a shade over a half-acre at 0.65.
Both are more than sizable enough to let multiple dogs run around, urinate freely, smell butts, play fetch, and get some serious exercise.
You’ll also find benches for the two-legged visitors to pop down on, along with a few tree stumps perfect for relaxation. Speaking of trees, there are smaller ones positioned throughout the park for “alleviation” purposes, along with the canine favorite imitation fire hydrants. Might as well play up to the puppy stereotype right?
The fact Wheeling is going to add a second dog park is only going to be a boon to the amenities the friendly city offers and make it more attractive to outsiders looking for a new home.
Yes, you can be a successful pet owner and never set foot in a dog park your entire life. But, you don’t know how much you’d miss not having one, until you’ve visited one. We’re certainly going to be routine visitors.
