by John Gessner, June 27, 2005

Dog Fancy Magazine names Burnsville Alimagnet Dog Park nation's third best

Burnsville’s Alimagnet Dog Park is the third-best off-leash park in the nation, says Dog Fancy magazine.

Dog owner Marcea Dowdy isn’t sure why Alimagnet made the list, but she and Sloan, her Siberian husky, know why they love the place.

“With the amount of trees - because it’s kind of nestled back in the woods - it gives the dogs a chance to go diving through the trees and the brush and sniff out like they’re on the hunt,” said Dowdy, of Savage. “I think that’s very unique. And it’s completely enclosed. Not all of the parks in the Twin Cities are. And it has a nice pond that’s easily accessible.”

Dowdy is president of People of Alimagnet Caring for K9s (PACK), a nonprofit group that raises funds for and helps maintain the park. PACK and the city’s recreation staff will celebrate the national ranking with a volunteer-appreciation party today (Saturday) from 10 a.m. to noon.

The event is sponsored by Novartis Animal Health U.S. Inc., the maker of canine arthritis medication Deramaxx. The dog-park ranking was sponsored by Deramaxx and Dog Fancy.

Dog Fancy editors say they ranked nominated parks on a range of criteria, from safety considerations to educational resources for dog owners. PACK members provided information about the park, which is “among the most popular dog exercise areas in the state,” according to organizers of the ranking.

As one of the nation’s top five parks, Alimagnet received a $10,000 grant from Novartis for park improvements.

The park opened in 2001 under the guidance of Burnsville Recreation Supervisor Garrett Beck. Park patrons formed PACK to support the park.

“It’s a well-used park,” said Dowdy, 34. “Until about a year ago there was only one in Dakota County.”

Alimagnet features a half-mile, wood-chip-covered trail around woods and a pond into which dogs often dive. Their owners sometimes congregate under a park shelter on the east side of the property.

“It instills a sense of community,” Dowdy said. “You’re not only there with your dog, but you’re talking with people you would not normally meet, and the common connection is your dogs. There have been a lot of friendships fostered through dog parks.”

The park was built for $2,000, which included a perimeter fence installed by volunteers.

With the $10,000 award, a new fence will be professionally installed.

New plantings and landscaping will be added to improve the park’s appearance and prevent erosion from foot traffic.

“We know the dogs don’t care,” Beck said, “but the people will certainly benefit from the landscaping additions.”

The money will also be used to add a fenced-in area for small dogs and older dogs whose owners don’t want them interacting with larger and more robust canines.

“The PACK group has heard this request,” Beck said. “Those folks are generally the ones that are out there daily. As they interact with other park users, they’ve heard this request come up.”