SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane County commissioners reversed course Tuesday on plans to close a popular dog park after dozens of community members voiced opposition.
The Board of County Commissioners unanimously voted to rescind a termination notice sent last October to the Washington State Department of Transportation for the Patricia Simonet Dog Park lease agreement.
“The Board of County Commissioners received dozens of emails and phone calls from those who use the dog park and were dismayed that it would be closing,” Board Chair Mary Brooks said. “We heard you – and the dog park will remain open as staff works to find a long-term solution with the Department of Transportation.”
The dog park sits on WSDOT-owned land at Gateway Regional Park off I-90 at the Stateline exit. County officials had planned to terminate the lease to save more than $32,000 annually in maintenance costs.
Parks Department staff will now cancel the termination notice and continue operating under the existing agreement. SCRAPS and volunteers will continue supporting the facility.
The park opened in 2006 as Spokane County’s first off-leash dog park and was later named for Patricia Simonet, an animal behaviorist at SCRAPS who researched dog vocalizations. Her work led to “laughing dog” recordings now used in shelters worldwide.
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