Opened on June 14, the dog park in the back of Peers Park joins Mitchell Park and Foothills Park as Palo Alto’s third dog park. Located at 1899 Park Blvd, it is partially hidden behind the playground and a cluster of picnic benches.

At Peers Park, visitors greet each other and watch their dogs wrestle and play.

“[Peers Park] is my favorite park,” said Christian Hackett, a local resident who frequents the area. “The dogs here are friendly and self-regulating, and it has more than enough room and shade for [my dog] to run around and play.”

The Peers Park is split up into three sections, separating pets by size. These sections, delineated by signs, aim to ensure that no dog feels scared or threatened.

“We discovered this park a week ago and I have been taking [my dog] here every day since,” resident Manuela Barros told The Daily in July. “My dog is pretty small, so I like how there is a different area for smaller dogs so I can make sure that she does not get afraid. The water fountains and space are amazing since she can run everywhere.”

Similar to Peers Park, Mitchell Park, on East Meadow Drive, is also frequented by younger children. While the adults watched their dogs or walked around the perimeter by the more secluded areas, many children climbed on monkey bars or played on the slides.

“All the owners at [Mitchell Park] are so welcoming,” said resident Evelyn Laboy. “I have gotten to meet more people and I realized that I have a lot in common with people who I might not have talked to unless I met them because of my dog at a dog park.”

Foothills Park, on the other hand, is less populated. Located at 3300 Page Mill Rd, the area is scenic, yet empty, as neither dogs nor people were present there last Thursday evening.

Dogs are not permitted on weekends in Foothills Park. As a non-resident of Palo Alto, visiting the park is difficult, as rangers require some form of Palo Alto residency verification. For non-residents, access to the park is limited, and entails either a two-and-a-half mile walk through a trail or going with a friend who is a resident.

Contact Meera Balaji at mbalaji697 ‘at’ student.fuhsd.org.