Thornberry Off-Leash Dog Park Info & Rules

Information

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Park Permits

All dogs using the Thornberry Off-Leash Dog Park (TOP) must wear an annual permit tag on their collar. The permit is $25/year with a $5 discount for spay/neuter and an additional $5 discount for microchip. There is a low-income reduced fee available for qualifying individuals. The exception to the annual permit is a daily pass available for $5. The annual permit tag can be purchased as noted below. Day passes can be obtained at the park.

The city may ticket owners whose dogs do not have a park tag or one-day permit. First offense is at least $60, with subsequent offenses costing more. Dogs who are off-leash outside the park are in violation of city code.

The permit tag is valid for the entire calendar year. Tags sold late in the year are pro-rated. 2008 tags are available for purchase now; those tags are valid from January 1 - December 31, 2008.

To get a permit tag, you can print and fill out the permit application (PDF format or Word) and mail it, or go to the Robert A. Lee Recreation Center, corner of Gilbert and Burlington Streets, Iowa City, IA, or Iowa City Animal Care and Adoption Center, 111 Kirkwood Avenue, at the corner of South Clinton and Kirkwood in Iowa City. You need proof of rabies vaccination and spay/neuter and microchip, if applicable. Iowa City residents must have a current dog license to get a park tag. Permit forms are also at TOP in the literature holder in the entry area.

Replacement tags are available at the Iowa City Animal Care and Adoption Center for $1.

Poop Bags

TOP has buried waste tanks that the city pumps out as needed. There are tank stacks just outside the entry structure as well as in the Lucky Pawz Playground.

In each of the 3 yards there are poop bag dispensers that the city fills with the green, biodegradable bags. If the dispensers are empty, please call 356-5106 or 331-3567. Put used green bags in the waste tank stacks.

The green poop bags degrade with water, which is what makes it possible for the city to pump out the contents of the poop tanks. Other sorts of bags clog the tanks and make emptying them difficult. If you do not use the GREEN bags, please dispose of those bags in the garbage cans near the park entry.

When trying to get only a single green poop bag from the dispensers, lick your finger and then use that finger to extract a single poop bag. Because several times in January and February the city workers found stuck together clumps of unused bags, they did not fill the dispensers at the back of the Lucky Pawz Playground; they decided that those dispensers were not being used regularly, thus the bags drew water and clumped. We know the bags are sometimes difficult to use. If you do not want to use them, please bring your own bags and dispose of them in the trash cans outside the fenced yards.

We also suggest that as you enter any of the dog yards you stop and get a poop bag. Many dogs want to poop in the yard as soon as possible. Be prepared. Thank you.

Information Board

Part of the park entry structure is the information board. The left side is locked and available for postings by JC DogPAC. Please check there for information about Emma's Run reservations, changes in the park, and other notices. The right side is unlocked and meant for postings of interest to dog park users.

This board was built for JC DogPAC by Boy Scouts and their adult leaders as a service project. Those Scouts are listed on a posting on the left side.

Park Hours

TOP is open from dawn to dusk.

Water at the Park

Please bring your own water containers to the park. Please bring (and remove) your own water bowls. Because the temperatures are now sometimes below freezing, DogPAC is not filling the water tank at the park.

Lily's Pond

The pond opened on June 17 at our one-year open celebration. It is named for Lily, a Dalmatian companion of Beth Shields, former JC DogPAC member and tireless champion for this park. Please keep the gate between Lily's Pond and the rest of the Lucky Pawz Playground closed so that the people, not the dogs, can decide who gets to check out the pond. Note that the middle of the pond if about 15 feet deep. There are 2 life rings to be used by people fastened to the fence in the pond area.

Special Events in Emma's Run

Emma's Run can be reserved for special events. Reservations must be made with JC DogPAC; include in your request the number of dogs expected to be involved. The cost is $10/hour, with a 2-hour limit. All dogs that come to such an event must have a current rabies vaccination. When Emma's Run has been reserved, that information will be posted in the News.

Eventually there will be a storage shed at the park in which to store the agility equipment.

Directions to Park

The Thornberry Off-Leash Dog Park is located in the Peninsula Park at the west end of Foster Road. Take Foster Road west off of Dubuque Street.

If you are coming from out of town:

1. From I-80 (east if coming from I-380), take the Dubuque St. exit and go south about 1/2 mile to the first stop light. 
2. Turn right at the stop light onto Foster Road.
3. Follow Foster Road up the hill, past the golf course on the left, and through the new Peninsula Neighborhood.
4. Continue on Foster Road and follow the signs to turn left onto Canton Street that leads to the dog park. 

TOP encompasses 11 acres in three areas: Linder Tire Service Small Dog Yard, Lucky Pawz Playground for all dogs, and Emma’s Run Training and Agility Area.

Park Rules and Etiquette

(PDF version of rules and etiquette.)

For the safety of all dogs and their human companions and for the enjoyment of all, please read and abide by the rules and etiquette suggestions. When you get to the park, please don’t congregate with your dogs at the entryway and gates, so that everyone can enter and exit easily.

All dogs must:

• Be fully vaccinated for rabies.
• Display a permit for use of the park.
• Be accompanied by a responsible person at least 16 years of age.
• Be on leash when entering or exiting the off-leash area. Note that only TOP is an off-leash area, and not the parking lot or the area surrounding the park.
• Be under the handler’s visual contact and voice control at all times.

The following dogs are not allowed in the park:

• Vicious, dangerous or aggressive dogs
• Dogs with communicable diseases
• Dogs in heat

Dog handlers must:

• Clean up after their dogs using the green biodegradable bags available at the park. All dog waste should be deposited in the in-ground waste tank in the park entry area.
• Carry a leash for each dog in the park.
• Discourage dogs from excessive barking and dominating behavior such as staring, humping, and bullying.
• Stop dogs from digging and fill holes made by their dogs
• Be responsible for actions and behavior of their dogs at all times.
• Remove pinch, choke, and spike collars prior to entering the park. This is a safety issue as dogs can be injured by such collars when playing.
• Not have more than two dogs in the park at one time.

Electronic training devices are restricted to the Emma's Run Training and Agility area.

Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied and supervised by a responsible adult.

Wheeled devices, except wheel chairs and strollers, are not allowed. No skateboards, bicycles, wagons, or roller blades, please.

Smoking is prohibited in the Thornberry Off-Lease Dog Park.

No food allowed in the park except for small training treats.

Dogs over 18 inches at the shoulder are not allowed in the small dog yard. Small dogs are welcome to use the all yards at the park, but owners should be aware that it is possible for small dogs to be accidentally injured by larger dogs.

Users of the facility do so at their own risk.

Other park rules and ordinances may apply.

Violations should be reported to Iowa City Animal Services at 356-5295.