My former hometown in Wisconsin is considering a dog park, and I think it is a ridiculous idea.

The concept of a dog park, as far as I understand it, is that dog owners can visit the park and let their dogs run leash-free in a semi-controlled environment (a fenced-in area). You might better know this area as a backyard.

I feel I should make this caveat: I am not a dog person. I don’t hate dogs, but I would much rather own a cat than a dog, and I don’t think I’ll ever own a dog unless the woman I will someday meet and marry deems it absolutely necessary. But that isn’t to say that I don’t understand why people love dogs – they really are loveable animals.

Why, then, would any self-respecting dog lover own a dog if he or she didn’t have a yard big enough for that dog to play freely? If you don’t have enough space for a big dog, don’t get a big dog. If you don’t have enough space for a small dog, don’t get a dog at all.

And most dog owners I know let their dogs run free in the park anyway, regardless of which city ordinances they may or may not be breaking. (Jordan’s ordinances on dogs can be found under section 10.01, "Nuisance Abatement," by visiting http://www.jordan.govoffice.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={3B638F2B-69CB-4904-8A7A-907431FC6574} [1].)

But dog parks remain popular. According to the Dog Fun Directory (http://www.ecoanimal.com/dogfun [3]), there are dog parks in Burnsville, Bloomington, Eden Prairie, Prior Lake, and Mankato. Shakopee is also considering a dog park (you can read about that by visiting http://www.jordannews.com/node/1170 [3]).

So maybe I’m wrong about dog parks. Tell me what you think. Are dog parks a good idea? Am I missing the point? Should Jordan consider a dog park? Do you let your dog run free anyway?