In 'puppy love' with Saratoga

City of Saratoga:

I am writing to tell you how much we enjoyed Saratoga even though we do not fish. We sashayed along the “downtown” streets taking in the sights and enjoying delicious cuisine in several restaurants; did a little shopping; dropped into Hack’s Tackle for a three-hour boat ride down the Platte River with Pat as our guide who pointed out the numerous bald eagles, furry minks, and other two-legged and four-legged wildlife only Pat could spot and identify instantly; we went to Mass on Saturday afternoon at St. Ann’s Church; and, several picnics were enjoyed in the beautiful Snowy Range and Lake Marie Falls. Yes, we had a wonderful and restful vacation in Saratoga having never visited before, not being fishermen, no family or friends in the area and having no expectations.

However, after we played with our puppies in the Kaake Walk Puppy Park for the last time on the day of our departure, we four left with heavy hearts. We are from the Denver area and have visited numerous public dog parks, even once being attacked by a pack of very aggressive dogs. However, I am not certain who enjoyed Kaake Walk Puppy Park more: we (my husband and I) or our two (“rescue”) puppies: Ben (a Brittany Spaniel) and Sailor Boy (King Charles Spaniel mix). Not having had recent positive experiences in public dog parks where we reside, we were not confident about what to expect on the first day we visited. However, we were greeted with clear instructions about sharing and enjoying the park; generous sized poop bags; double gates and, best of all, a clean cool drink of water from a spigot in a generous size water bowl welcomed our timid Sailor Boy and hyperactive Ben. Thereafter, we played in Kaake Walk Puppy Park every morning and many times again in the late afternoon. It is quite obvious the safety of the pet owners and dogs sharing this park is a top priority!

The love, care and creativity involved in the development of this dog park is amazing! Never before have we seen the tender and thoughtful creativity we enjoyed in this puppy playground. The “street names” so clever; the picturesque and unique artwork on large rocks with profound quotes about dogs (i.e. “Be everything your dog thinks you are”), is all more than we could have imagined in a dog park. We tried our best to be considerate visitors by faithfully picking up our own puppy’s “poop” as well as any other “poop gifts” left behind by other visitors. It is most apparent the deep and unconditional love all the volunteers have for this park is one of its kind (from the pink flamingo; to yellow fire hydrants; to beautifully painted artwork on large rocks with unique messages and puppy pictures)!

We met numerous other pet owners/visitors who live in Saratoga and surrounding areas and all agreed with our appreciation, praise and respect for the work by the volunteers and artists which has been invested in the park’s creation and maintenance.

We four sincerely thank the volunteers who obviously continually work very hard to keep this playground clean and beautiful as well as the Town of Saratoga for “gifting” the land for the safety and enjoyment of our pets and owners alike. Deep within my Catholic heart, I am certain St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, is very proud of the Town of Saratoga.

The Kaake Walk Dog Park will forever remain the delight of our hearts!!

Gratefully,

Marilyn L. Martinez

Wheat Ridge, CO