Our most recent community-wide survey shows that the majority of trail users in Billings are residents walking their dogs. Since their owners filled out the survey, we decided to ask some pooches around the city for feedback on trail projects they are most excited about.
First, Reno, a Portuguese Water Dog from Ward 2 had a lot to say about taking long walks and the potential of a trail connection from the Heights to downtown.
Hi, my name is Reno, and I am a 4 year-old Portuguese Water Dog! I want to wish everyone a Happy International Dog Day! I love snuggling with my owners, barking at the mailman, and enjoying a cool pup-cup on a hot day. The one thing I love more than anything else is going on walks. My owners know I need at least two walks a day (sometimes more) or I just don’t know what to do with myself! I am a bit of a local celebrity in the Heights where I live, people stop us on our walks all the time to say “hi,” give me pets, and if I am lucky, get a treat or two (YUM)!!!
Thing is, when you go on as many walks as I do, the same old route gets boring. You can only chase the same bunny so many times. That’s why I am so grateful there are so many trails around Billings to keep my walks interesting! I love taking the trail loop around Lake Elmo (with a quick stop at the dog park), or taking a hike up on the Rims and looking down at the city. There are so many great trails to choose from, and I really enjoy meeting new people and dogs every time I check out a new trail. I can’t wait until the 5th Avenue Corridor from the MetraPark to downtown is completed so I can get to the heart of the city from where I live, and maybe my owners will let me have a little bit of their ice cream from Big Dipper! So again, Happy International Dog Day, don’t all you dog parents out there forget to give your puppies a treat for being such good dogs and take them out on nice long walks on one of the many Billings trails!
Thank you, Reno, that was great!
Next, we have Delilah, a 10-year-old husky mix from Ward 3 who is most interested in the Riverfront Park to ZooMontana connection.
As a husky, you could probably guess I am very opinionated. I also have selective hearing. So, when my parents say, “stop jumping on our guests,” I pretend I don’t know what that means. However, when they say, “do you want to go for a ride?” I listen because I think we’re going to the mountains. Sometimes, I go on long trips to hike the Beartooths, but usually they are just driving me across town because there are no other ways for us to arrive to those trailheads safely.
Don’t get me wrong. I love any ride where I can stick my head out the window and shed all over mom’s car. But sometimes, I just want to be able to walk out my front door and mark new parts of town. Is that so hard to ask? When I heard there was the potential for a trail connector from Riverfront Park to the Zoo, I howled about it. How else are the neighbors going to know about this great project? It’s so exciting to think that I could join my parents on the patio at Meadowlark Brewing, walk along the Big Ditch Trail, or just meet my friends from doggy daycare on the other side of town.
That was…insightful, Delilah. Thank you.
Here we have a nice poem from Dakota the Shelter Dog, a county resident.
I love trails across the city and in my ‘hood
I’m on them a lot, and they make me feel good
From the new Skyline Trail, to Riverfront Park,
So much to see and sniff, I just wanna bark
But I don’t – good puppies know barking’s not cool
We stay on our leashes and follow the rules
We are so lucky our city has such good trails
No wonder all us puppies are wagging our tails!
Lastly, a word from Doug, a pointer mix also from Ward 3.
Of course Delilah wouldn’t say anything about me, but for those of you that didn’t know, I am her brother. Anyway, this upcoming Sunday, August 31st has a lot of dog-filled events including:
- Hiking Hounds, meet at the shelter at 8 AM
- Dog Days of Summer, where they close Rose Park Pool just for dogs! 12-3 PM
Happy International Doug Day!