Clean-up day gets Bend off-leash parks set for summer

Dog-lovers and park-goers were invited to lend a hand during Saturday’s community-wide spring clean-up event at Bend’s seven off-leash dog parks.

The clean-up was hosted by Bend Park and Recs, Dog PAC and several volunteer groups.

The “Dog Park Clean-Up Day” is not held because the parks are unsafe — it’s about getting the parks ready for summer and keeping them enjoyable for pets and owners.

Participants pulled invasive weeds, removed rocks and much more.

“Each park has different projects going on, depending on what needs to be done,” said John Kelly with DogPAC. “Last year, we raked bark at this park. This year, that’s going to happen after the public clean-up.”

Organizers at the dog park by the Old Mill District said they had more volunteers last year, but that might have to do with the fact that they were cleaning up all of the parks in one day this year.