Dog Parks and Free Running Areas

Do you want a dog park in your neighbourhood?

If you want to start a dog park in your neighbourhood or community, you must submit an application and make sure the site meets the City’s criteria.

Dog Park Application Form(PDF, 182.16 KB)

This criteria from the Leash Free Parks Policy(PDF, 282.55 KB) are used to decide if a proposed site is eligible for a dog park.

You may not change these criteria in any way.

• Sites must be at least two acres but not more than five acres in size.
• Sites are limited to certain areas of the city (as determined by the City) and should not be located in highly populated residential areas.
• Environmentally Significant Areas are not eligible to be a dog park.
• Parks that have sports facilities where people pay permit fees are not eligible to be a dog park, unless the total acreage of the site is more than 40 acres and has room for a fenced pen with limited land-use and or visual conflicts.
• The site must have a fence that is at least four feet high, with a double-gated entry system.
• Sites must have on-site parking.
• Regulatory and advisory signs must be visible.
• A volunteer committee with a minimum of ten (10) members must be in place.
• The Leash Free Parks account will fund park development costs.
• The Leash Free Parks account does not provide funding for amenities or equipment. Volunteer committees need to fund these things.

The development of dog parks in Hamilton is subject to these conditions:

• Development is done on a cost share basis, where the City pays for 50% of the development costs and the volunteer committee pays 50% of development costs.
• Cost share programs are done on a first-come first-served basis, subject to City funding. The City will only enter into cost share agreements with volunteer groups that have their funding, and who pay the City before any development happens.

Do you want a free running area in your neighbourhood?

If you want to apply for a free running area in your neighbourhood or community, you must submit an application and make sure the site meets the City of Hamilton’s criteria.

Free Running Area Application Form(PDF, 48.4 KB)

The City will use this criteria from the Leash Free Parks Policy(PDF, 282.55 KB) to decide if a proposed site is eligible for a free running area.

We will not allow exceptions to these criteria:

• Time and seasonality will limit the use of some sites, especially if the site is near a school board or where play equipment and or splash pads or wading pools are present.
• Sites must be at least one acre in size.
• Land is given as-is with no extra amenities. Only amenities found in a traditional park setting will be allowed. Dog park equipment will not be allowed in free running areas.
• Environmentally Significant Areas are not eligible to be a free running area.
• Sites surrounded  by high traffic streets, main thoroughfares or highways will not be considered for free running areas, unless there are enough landscape and/or physical barriers to block access to the roadway.
• Free running areas are not allowed in park sites that have sports facilities.
• The City does not allow free running areas along trails.

There can only be one free running area per political ward. The City approves free running areas on an as-required or as-requested basis, subject to funding.