HANCOCK - Hancock Hounds Dog Park (HHDP) is built across 1.5 acres behind the Hancock Town Hall at 661 West Main Street in Hancock. The land was made available by the town of Hancock through a land license agreement which must be renewed annually. For years, the local community had sought ways to create this dog park but didn’t have enough knowledge on the process to get it off the ground. As Covid-19 started to work its way across the country the need became more urgent, as dogs and their owners became more isolated. The town of Hancock, particularly the local Dog Control Officer, Donna Torch, continued to reach out for help and support.
Finally, in the summer of 2021 she found a team of local residents, Jill Keller and Ashley Rossi, who became co-chairs of the dog park committee that quickly grew in numbers. Michael Fruchtman is treasurer and Richard Lowe, secretary.
Residents have donated their skills, equipment and more than $10,000 of their own money to make the park a reality, Keller said.
HHDP has more than 58 members supporting the build, and an executive board that is dedicated to bringing the vision to life.
Both dog runs feature a double-gated entry which will provide the owner with the opportunity to unleash his or her dog in a safe, confined area, eliminating the danger of the dog getting loose outside of the park. This system also allows the dog to become acclimated to being off-leash prior to entering the main park, eliminating any potential “leash aggression” that may have occurred. Park rules will be posted and doubled-sided so they can be seen at entry as well as inside the dog park. All structures will be built to be non-permanent, but secured against theft or flood to allow the park to grow as needed.
The HHDP committee is pleased to announce the plans for phase 3, which is a community garden named after Alice Furfaro, Delaware Valley Garden Club (DVGC) president from 2012-2021.
DVGC will assist in the design of the gardens with HHDP and the Delaware County Planning Department.
The final fully-realized dog park, to be completed in fall or winter 2023, will feature a unique, collapsible training corner that can also be used as a “holding pen” when a dog needs to adjust to its new environment for proper training and for educational sessions. As Hancock is famous for its stone quarries, the dog park will also feature natural cuttings of traditional and lavender bluestone generously donated by Steve Zahler and family, which will form the new walkways and perimeters of the park. This will allow for proper landscaping, winter upkeep, and better handicap accessibility when the weather permits.
Hancock Hounds also hopes to feature local artist installations such as interior and exterior fencing artwork by local artists, photographers and historic town timelines. The exterior of the park will have unique dog-friendly ornamental grasses and selected vegetation for ease of landscaping that can assist with seasonal drainage.
“The Hancock Hounds Dog Park is a testament to Hancock’s growth in recent years and how we value new ideas, and listen to our neighbors,” said Hancock Supervisor Jerry Vernold. “We are blown away by the public support and everyday use of the dog park. We had no idea how many people would use it everyday.”
