Why Grass Matters: Building a Dog Park That Meets Real Needs

Mount Pleasant is home to one of the highest concentrations of licensed dogs in Vancouver, yet we remain underserved in dedicated dog-friendly green space. That’s why we’re advocating for a fully fenced, grass-based off-leash dog park—designed around the real needs of dogs and the values of a livable, inclusive city

Dogs Thrive on Grass – And Science Backs It

‍A large survey of over 300 agility dog handlers found that dogs experience fewer injuries and show better performance on natural grass and dirt compared to mulch, rubber mats, or gravel.
‍Source: Canine Performance & Injury Study – PubMed ID: 25242979
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9624126/
‍Grass provides:
‍Soft cushioning for joints and pawsCool surface temperature (especially in summer)
Better grip and traction for running and playing
A natural feel that encourages calm social behavior

‍Problems with Mulch, Gravel, and Turf
‍Many existing off-leash areas use wood chips, gravel, or synthetic turf. While these materials are sometimes chosen for budget or drainage, they present real challenges for dogs and their owners.

‍Mulch
‍Can cause splinters or irritation
Hard to clean and traps odors
Hides waste and increases maintenance

‍Gravel or Pebbles
‍Rough on paws
Can feel unstable or unsafe to dogs
Retains heat in summer and poses potential choking risks
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‍Synthetic Turf
‍Can get dangerously hotRequires chemical cleaningDoesn’t provide the same comfort or behavioral benefits as grass

‍Mount Pleasant Needs a Grass-Based Dog Park
‍Through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, we accessed dog licensing and land use data across Vancouver.
The numbers show: Mount Pleasant is one of the most dog-dense neighborhoods
We have no enclosed, dedicated grass-based off-leash parkLocal green spaces are overused, leading to safety and cleanliness concerns

‍What a Grass Dog Park Offers
‍A well-maintained, grass-based off-leash park would support:
Physical and mental health for dogsReduced stress and better behavior in the community
Cleaner, greener shared public space
Stronger community connection between neighbors
Plus, grass offers environmental benefits like filtering runoff, reducing surface heat, and improving air quality.

‍What We’re Asking For
‍We respectfully request that the City of Vancouver and Vancouver Park Board:
Allocate land for a grass-based, fully enclosed dog park in Mount PleasantDesign it with safety, sustainability, and accessibility in mind
Work with local dog guardians to support ongoing maintenance and stewardship

We are not asking for luxury. We’re asking for functionality. Grass is safer, healthier, and overwhelmingly preferred by dogs—and their humans.

Help us show the City this matters.
Sign our petition
Share your story on IG @mountpleasantdogs
Help us bring a safer, cleaner, greener dog park to Mount Pleasant

We’re not just asking for a park. We’re asking for a community space that meets real needs—with science, safety, and sustainability at the heart of it.Grass is what dogs choose. It’s what science supports. And it’s what Mount Pleasant deserves.

Mount Pleasant was identified as themost under-served neighbourhood in the city of Vancouver.While being among the areas with the highest densities of licenced dogs, Mt. Pleasant suffers from having a complete absence of proper off-leash spaces. See the image below(Blue = Bad):

Depending where you live in our hood, we need to walk between 1 to 3 kilometers if we want to access an off-leash dog park. In other words, it can take at least 35 minutes of walking to be able to follow our city’s by-laws. How are we suppose to comply?The ultimate consequence is that we’re forced to compromise and misuse spaces not optimized for our dogs’ needs:

This heatmap represents the amount of dog-related calls to 3-1-1 throughout the city.

Looks familiar? That’s our school yard!The area near Guelph Park and Mount Pleasant Elementary constitute one of the handful of zones without dog off-leash areas that have received more than 100 calls in the timeframe measured. That just means that there’s a huge need not being met for dog owners!

‍Are we getting angry yet?

‍While we find ways to prevent the school from locking of the yard after 5pm, ultimately we have to keep an eye on the bigger picture.

We NEED a fully fenced, permanent off-leash dog park in the neighborhood that can keep our pups safe and happy, with:Grass (not dirt, gravel or synthetic turf)Garbage binsWater fountain for our dogsSheltered areas (for rainy or hot days)Lighting to support all-season useSounds like a lot? It shouldn’t be!

These are the absolute basics we can demand (it would be lovely to also have seating, or doggy agility installations available). It’s been 8 years since this report came out, with a 10-year strategic plan in place. What do they have to show for themselves 2 years from the deadline??
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June 8th 2025:
We just heard back from my Freedom of Information (FOI) request and received the dataset from the City of Vancouver detailing dog license data going back to 2010, including neighborhood-level details on where licensed dogs actually live. We also pulled data on off-leash park areas and neighborhood sizes from other Open Data Sources the city provides to cross reference.

The numbers are even worse than expected. They confirm what many of us have felt for years, and the picture they paint is crystal clear. Lets break it down.

The first thing is  Dog Density (how many licensed dogs are there in the city per km²). While the city average is 204 dogs/km², Mount Pleasant enjoys 505 dogs/km², which is more than twice the city average. That’s 8.1% of the total licensed dogs in the city!
This is the city-wide evolution since 2010:

In red is Mount Pleasant, going from 10th to 3rd place in that timeframe. That’s a 127% growth, far surpassing the West End in second place, with 78% growth.
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Mount pleasant is essentially expected to fit 3 dogs in 2 meters² of off-leash dog park (the city average, orange line, is 0.3 dogs/meters²).
And remember: this supposed ‘Mt. Pleasant off-leash dog park’, while technically in the neighborhood, is strictly referring to the one located in Olympic Village. We actually have no official dog parks anywhere near where we naturally congregate.
In essence, Mount Pleasant has more than 8% of the total licensed dogs in the city with only 0.16% of the total available off-leash dog parks, while being 3,27% of the city's total area.
Some more takeaways 1,849 licensed dogs live in Mount Pleasant (2024)
We have just 1,098 m² of off-leash park space (technically, in Olympic Village)
That’s less than 0.6 m² of park per dog
The city average is about 3 m² per dog
Mount Pleasant ranks dead last in the city for dog park space per dog
Some neighborhoods have 20 to 200 times the space we do, with fewer dogs