Man blames turf for hurting his dogs

A Northglenn dog owner says the turf on the dog parks closest to his home have cost him around $1,000 in vet bills.

James Mapes said he sets up a lure course for his six dogs as much as he can.

“If there was decent place to set up that was closer to my house, I’d probably do it once a week or so,” he said.

However, there’s a problem.

None of the parks near his home have grass turf; instead, they have granite. Mapes said that type of surface left his dogs with scratches on their paw pads.

So far, he’s added up $1,000 worth of vet bills.

“The dogs are running around in their bare feet. Would you do that to your kids?,” he asked.

Denver7 contacted a handful of cities that have granite dog parks. A spokesperson for Commerce City said they haven’t received any complaints about their park.

While Northglenn and Thornton have received a handful of complaints, neither spokesperson for the cities said it’s enough for them to consider changes.

Margo Aldrich, spokeswoman for Northglenn, said the granite is the industry standard for dog parks and it’s easier to maintain than grass. 

“The fact is that you’ve got dogs that are getting injured,” Mapes said.

He’s shared his concerns with city officials in Northglenn and hopes that they and other cities will reconsider the turf.

“The problem is... if a dog has a wound and they like to lick it,” he said, “and it can get infected and then you can get in bigger complications."