K9 Korral Dog Run — Attraction in New York

I've been taking my lab to play at this neighborhood (Woodhaven) dog run since she was a puppy. We've both made wonderful friends here and go almost every day. Most of the dogs and their humans are very friendly, the vibe is chill, and the doggie regulars are a nice variety of breeds and sizes. A bonus is that this run is in the midst of Forest Park, where you can forget you're in a big city and there are lots of scenic vistas to explore with your pup on leash.

As others have mentioned, the terrain is mostly dirt, so it gets really muddy after a rainstorm, but the dogs don't mind. :) And the humans learn to prepare for it. After recent renovations, the fence is high and the part of the run dedicated to small dogs is much larger. There are some gaps in the gates that little dogs might slip through, though, so be vigilant.

My only real issue with the K9 Korral, as this dog run is called, is with the group that runs it. They're clannish, unwelcoming, resistant to suggestions, tight with information about their plans for the dog run, the finances of the dog run, and so forth. It's an unfortunate contrast to the very nice board at the other Forest Park dog run, the Forest Park Barking Lot, which openly solicits volunteers and suggestions through its website, has a public Facebook page, and has negotiated some great discounts for its sustaining members (I'm one) with local businesses.

At a recent Halloween party organized by the K9 Korral board members and crew, chocolate (not safe for dogs) was being served throughout the park, with baked goods placed on benches, etc., and I was greeted as I entered by an apparent management volunteer who pointed out a chocolate baked good on the ground outside the gate that my dog was nosing toward. When I agreed with them that chocolate was toxic, they suggested that my dog had eaten some and said, "Well, if your dog drops dead later, you'll know why." It was honestly the most unpleasant party arrival I've ever experienced. When I started a conversation about the experience on Facebook, the group attacked me and my friends like a nest of hornets, then blocked me from the Facebook page and deleted the post.

Some friends of mine from the run have also had unpleasant run-ins with some of the management online and in person, which is unfortunate. We all love dogs and the community we have there, and would like to be able to more involved in volunteering at and planning for the dog run. But it's not even clear how to become a member, and there is a real resistance to newcomers from most board members, many of whom luckily never turn up except for these events. The ones who do go to the park regularly are generally nicer and more relaxed. I met one member of the board a few months ago who stopped in with a relative’s dog they were taking care of for the day and who said that most of the people on the board, themself included, had dogs at one time but don't anymore, though the board does still manage and host the events.

I was told by a friend who's lived in the area for years that the board members used to lock the gate in the early evening to keep people out after they finished enjoying the park. Obviously nowadays that would never be permitted by the city, and they don't do it it anymore.

So my advice is: go to the dog run and enjoy! Day to day, it's great. But for events like a Halloween party you'll probably have more fun at the Forest Park Barking Lot, which is at the Overlook on the east end...

I visit this dog run often because of its close proximity to my home. My lab (Roma) and I have even met some really great friends over the last year here.

Recently, within the last couple of months, I’ve noticed an increase of trash, glass, mosquitos (due to tall, unkept grass over the summer) and poop throughout the run. I posted to this group’s Facebook, “K9 Korral Dog Friends at Forest Park”, an image of some empty prescription bottles as a warning to my fellow ‘dog friends’ (which I obviously picked up right after). My post was met with a few comments from other dog owners expressing their concerns about the recent conditions of the run. A couple of weeks prior to this, I posted an image of an UNLOCKED, SLIGHTLY AJAR side gate on the east side of the park. Yes- unlocked and open. In the comments, I was told that the parks department (?) cut the lock/opened the gate to trim the grass, OUTSIDE of the run, and I guess along the gate (definitely NOT inside the run), and didn’t replace the lock. This caused me, and many others, to worry about the possibility of our dogs escaping. In my opinion, there were no ugly comments made in response to this, just general concern.

When checking Facebook to see if they had announced their annual Halloween party, I came to find that K9 Korral Dog Friends at Forest Park blocked me! I’d like to be clear in saying that those were the only two times I had posted on their Facebook EVER images to warn others about the two specific incidences of unsafe conditions I had PERSONALLY experienced. I thought I was doing a good deed by helping others and bringing attention to a couple of very serious incidents. I’m still not sure why my posts were a threat (?) to the park or the online community.

I still visit this park because it’s close to my home and I have made some great friends there. But it’s unbelievable to me that the people who run the FB page AND park are so incredibly..... defensive, irresponsible, and quite frankly- mean? The folks over at the Barking Lot (Forest Park Overlook) always do a great job at making people feel like they are PART of the community.

Just do better. You know exactly who you are.

PS - Hi to all of Roma’s friends, most of you are...

Having made use of other dog runs in NYC, I was not surprised at what I found in Forest Park. Physically, the Run is attractive, of good size, and boasts of some important amenities such as a safe ingress/egress, bags to clean up after your pet as well as receptacles in which to dispose them. Well thought-out, prominently placed and legible signs of official (and non-official) ordinance in re the rules of the Run abound. Some seating is available for humans. Human bathroom facilities and potable water are nearby. Sounds great, no? In fact, the only downside is due to the dog owners, more territorial and selfish and vicious and lacking in social skills than their canine charges. Their dogs' behavior is the active component of outrageous passive aggression. Well-behaved dogs of well-behaved owners are displaced in no time by unsocialized quadripeds of bipedal and terminally obnoxious owners. Yet another example of City parks officials providing a good service to us and our dogs, only to be met by thankless locals incapable of honoring the social contract. Don't...