Waco residents press council for a city dog park as volunteers and users report loss of Hot Dog Park

WACO — Four Waco residents told the City Council on Jan. 21 that the city needs at least one public dog park, saying volunteers maintained a popular off‑leash site that closed abruptly and was sold last year.

“Essentially, all we’re asking from the city is to put up a fence on a piece of property that you already own,” said Matthew Tuttle, who identified himself as living at 2610 Burnett Avenue. “The fact that you said it’ll take two or three years is not only disheartening, but also makes me question government efficiency.”

Why it matters: Speakers said the closure of a volunteer‑maintained site known as Hot Dog Park removed the only readily available off‑leash space for many residents and their dogs. They asked the council to direct Parks & Recreation to place a dog park on its meeting agendas and to prioritize a quicker timeline for a fenced, off‑leash area.

Volunteer group kept a park open, then property sold

Haley Lay, who described herself as a Hot Dog Park volunteer board member and park user, told the council the group maintained a large dog‑park property with the owner’s permission until the site was closed and sold in September. Lay said volunteers repeatedly sought to have the Parks & Recreation Department add a dog‑park agenda item; she said the department repeatedly assured the group the topic would appear but it did not.

“We have been working since the park’s closing as a board to ask the city of Waco if they would be willing to add a dog park to plans for future park developments,” Lay said. “Each time we show up only to see that the agenda is missing dog park as a topic to be addressed.”

Owners, adopters and users say city lacks reasonable nearby options

Mike Miller, who lives at 10624 Calaveras Drive, told council that walking around a block does not meet the exercise needs of active dogs. “Dogs are natural athletes. They need to run. They need to play. They’re social animals,” Miller said.

Alexandra Salazar, who said she lives at 2610 Burnett Ave., described bringing her dog, Rex, to off‑leash parks in other cities while she lived elsewhere and said Rex benefited from socialization and exercise at the now‑closed Hot Dog Park. She noted nearby regional off‑leash parks are many miles away and told the council that the city recently took ownership of the Pet Circle Regional Animal Center but does not provide a city dog park for adopters.

“No one is asking for much — a fence, a safe space where families who adopt animals can bring them and socialize them,” Salazar said. “A two‑year wait is ridiculous.”

Council response and next steps

Speaker comments were part of the meeting’s hearing-of‑visitors section. Council members did not adopt a dog‑park policy or place a new action item on the agenda during the Jan. 21 meeting. Several council members later made announcements about upcoming ribbon-cuttings and pool reopenings but did not respond with immediate action on dog‑park requests. Speakers said they will continue pursuing Parks & Recreation channels and request the council and staff to add dog‑park planning to future Parks & Recreation agendas.

Audience and engagement

Four speakers addressed the issue in the public‑comment period. Speakers identified volunteer maintenance of the prior park, the abrupt sale and closure of that site in September, and a lack of nearby off‑leash options as the core issues. Several speakers referenced attempts to work with Parks & Recreation and council members during fall 2024 public meetings.