Off The Leash

Worthington Park Is One Reason Ellicott City Has Won Recognition As An Oasis For Pets And Their Owners

Joey, a 6-year-old Brittany spaniel, was having the time of his life.

He sprinted around the emerald expanses of the 2.7-acre Worthington Park Off-Leash Area on a recent visit, tracing a circuitous path through the manicured yet somewhat lumpy lawn.

When Genie the English shepherd romped over, Joey switched into an impossibly higher gear.

In the meantime, three dozen owners relaxed on scattered benches and chairs, enjoying a few moments of social time before the sun slipped below the park's wooded perimeter.

Just an average day in a dog's life in eastern Ellicott City, which was named one of the country's 10 Best Places to Live for Pet Lovers by list-obsessed U.S. News and World Report.

The town was singled out by the Washington-based magazine - which regularly publishes such lists of best hospitals, colleges and retirement cities - based on three main factors: weather, population density and green space, wrote Kimberly Palmer, a senior editor.

And the county's seven-year-old dog park off Hillsborough Road must be one of the reasons the town was the only Maryland locale to make the cut, say those who frequent it.

"I like to refer to this place as 'Doggie Cheers,' " said Ulfras Floyd, referring to the TV sitcom about regular customers at a Boston bar. "Here, everybody knows your dog's name."

Floyd, who owns 3-year-old Genie, serves on the board of the Howard County Dog Owners Group, which is more commonly called HoCo Dogs.

An all-volunteer organization, it was formed to lobby the county to create the park and now works to upgrade the park's amenities through fundraising and other efforts, said Barbara Bice, Joey's owner and president of the six-member advisory group for four years.

Use of the off-leash area is not limited to county residents, though all dogs must have a license and rabies vaccination, she said. About 900 annual permits have been sold at $40 each; daily permits cost $5 and are available at the park.

"We all recognize how wonderful this is," said Bice, a Wilde Lake resident. "And not only for our dogs; there are a lot of educated and interesting people who come here."

Sister Anna Mae Crane, an Ellicott City resident who works at Bon Secours Spiritual Center in Marriottsville, said she started taking her bichon frise, Mary Grace, to the park in January when the puppy was 4 months old so she could burn off energy.

"You build relationships with people here," said the nun, who visits the park once a day after work and twice a day on weekends. "When you don't show up, people wonder where you are."

The park is self-sustaining thanks to HoCo Dogs, said Jennifer DeArmey, superintendent of park operations, who added that the department of recreation and parks is proud that "no tax dollars are currently going into the park's upkeep."

She added that more trees and canvas screening for shelter from weather are being considered for the park, "though nothing is set in stone." Bice added that lighting and a water feature are on the group's wish list.

But canines aren't all that discriminating, it turns out: Give them their fenced-in freedom, a source of water and a passel of playmates and they're happy, which is what owners want the most.

DeArmey agreed. "The wide range of people who come here take their dogs very seriously," she said, noting that current animal behavioral studies indicate socialization of different breeds, not separation, is important.

"This park is the result of a trend that started in the western United States about six years ago and worked its way to the East," she said.

The other places named to the top 10 list are: Rocky Point, N.Y.; Auburn, Ala.; Butte, Mont.; Yankton, S.D.; Lewiston, Idaho; Glasgow, Ky.; Aiken, S.C.; Flower Mound, Texas.; and Wolf Trap, Va.

Magazine staff also took into account the availability of animal shelters for pet adoptions and the accessibility of veterinary care for all animals, Palmer explained in the magazine.

And with green space a top criterion - the article stated there are 100 square miles of it within 15 miles of Ellicott City - parks at Centennial, Rockburn and Meadowbrook contribute their share of open acreage and trails. Park rules require dogs be handled on a leash that's six feet or shorter and kept out of sports, picnic and playground areas, according to the county Web site.

Another reason Ellicott City might have been chosen as a pet lovers' paradise could be the county's Pooches' Pool Party, a popular event that's been held for eight consecutive years, said DeArmey.

The county-operated Roger Carter Recreation Center, off Fels Lane near Ellicott City's historic Main Street, plays host to dogs and their owners after closing the public pool for the season. The 75 spots in each of two sessions planned for this Saturday filled up within a few weeks, she said.

Floyd pointed to the Emergency Animal Hospital and Happy Dog day care on Route 40 West as evidence that pets have an important place in area homes.