Park Closing: 'Something Stinks And It Ain't Dog Poop'
EVERGREEN, Colo. (CBS4) - Hundreds of dogs and their humans rallied together Saturday afternoon to protest the closure of Evergreen's Elk Meadow Dog Park.
"They're mad," said Judi Quackenboss, the park's original founder. "It isn't just sad, they're mad because it's not right."
Despite park-goers' attempts to keep it open, health concerns and parking issues forced Jefferson County Open Space to shut it down.
"We've had hundreds of people spend thousands of hours cleaning up the dog park, doing whatever we need to do to keep it open, and Jefferson County is closing it anyway," said Betsy Rich. "Something stinks and it ain't dog poop."
While the county sites overuse and animal waste as the main issues, dog owners say shutting down the park isn't the solution.
"What's going to happen to all of these people, and their dogs, if there's no place to go?" Rich said.
While Jefferson County says the closure will only be temporary, protesters say their fight is far from over.
"We're going to miss it," said Doug Sexton. "It'll never be over."
The park closes April 4. Officials say it could be 3 years before it reopens.
Andrea Flores is a reporter for CBS4. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter @AndreaFloresTV.