Westchester Dogs Have Their Days This Weekend

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. – Humans got their fun in the sun this summer, and now Westchester dogs will have their days this month.  

Canines are invited to take a dip in the pools at Kittrell Park in White Plains and Anthony F. Veteran Park in Ardsley on Sunday at 10 a.m. Bark in the Park will also return to Ossining Dog Park on Saturday at 10 a.m. featuring games, music and food.

Hounds on the Sound invites dogs and their owners to raise money for homeless animals, starting at 10 a.m., on Sunday, Sept. 30. Sponsored by the New Rochelle Humane Society, there will be refreshments, activities for kids, dog contests, a photo booth and music. Walkers who raise more than $100 will receive a Hounds on the Sound t-shirt.

As summer winds down, it's also a good time to take advantage of dog runs and parks in Peekskill, White Plains, Cortlandt and Greenburgh. County residents with reservations about bringing their shy furry friends are recommended to check out the scene beforehand.

Croton-on-Hudson resident Liz Keller and her rescue dog, Charlie, recently visited Ossining Dog Park. Though Charlie had known only a cage in his short life, he eventually ventured out on the wood chips closer to the other dogs. 

"The people were so welcoming," Keller said of the other dog owners. 

As for a good time to visit local dog parks, Ossining resident Pam Cunningham said Mondays tend to be the busiest night of the week. Holidays are also a fun time, Keller and Cunningham said. In past years, owners have dressed up their dogs as everything from court jesters and babies to mobsters and strippers for Halloween.

If socializing isn't a dog's strong suit, there are many parks that allow leashed dogs. Bronx River Parkway Reservation runs through Mount Vernon, Bronxville, Scarsdale, Hartsdale and Valhalla. Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, the county's largest park, as well as Saxon Woods Park in White Plains and Graham Hills Park in Mount Pleasant, allow leashed dogs and a county pass is not required. 

 

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