Welcome

Welcome to the cyber home of Callahan Dog Owners Group, an organization of canine-loving humans who mobilized in response to a proposal by the Department of Conservation and Recreation to limit off-leash privileges within the 800-plus acres that comprise Callahan State Park, often called simply, “The Dog Park.”

We remain committed to efforts to retain our hard-won off-leash status in designated areas of the park (see map of Callahan trails, including highlighted on-leash trails); to representing and upholding – as well as enlightening and reminding – appropriate standards of responsible dog ownership; to the preservation, protection and promotion of the pristine nature of the park, and to camaraderie with and respect for each other and all the many varied multi-use neighbors who share its bounty. Check out the About Us page for more detailed information on our history, our passion, our efforts and our accomplishments.

With off-leash freedom comes responsibility. Please be a responsible dog owner/walker. The existing signs on Callahan’s trails are misleading. These are the facts:

• On-leash: (1) Dogs are to be leashed in all parking areas and on all trails that abut private property. Dogs must not enter private property – ever! (2) Dogs are to be leashed on the Millwood Street-side walking loop that includes the length of the earthen dam, around the home-abutting trails of CocoRidge and Pinecone, to and including Fox Hunt, and back again to earthen dam (see map); (3) Dogs are to be leashed – even if on an off-leash trail – if and whenever any park visitor requests that you leash your dog until you have safely passed.
• Off-leash: romping is permitted on most interior trails and in the Eagle Pond area.
• Voice Control: Off-leash dogs must be supervised and under strict voice control.
• Scoop the Poop: Pick up after your dog and discard the poop bag in a trash barrel (located in all parking lots year round, and at Eagle Pond in the summer months). Do not leave poop bags behind on trails, in the woods, at Eagle Pond, or…anywhere!

April 28, 2013

Updated Lost Dog Alerts

April 25, 2013

Updated Lost Dog Alerts

April 9, 2013

Updated Latest News page.

February 14, 2013

Updated Latest News page.

December 4, 2011

Updated Latest News page.

October 20, 2011

Updated the Photos page.

May 1, 2011

Our Latest News page has been updated.

April 27, 2011

Our Adopt/Foster a Pet and Events pages have been updated.

April 22, 2011

Our Adopt/Foster a Pet page has been updated.

February 21, 2011

The Worm Turns…

Leaving poop on the trails is not only unsightly, it  is a health hazard to all of our beloved companions – of the two legged as well as the four legged variety! As some of us were scooping the poop, it became squirmingly apparent that a dog – or dogs – who walk (and poop on) the trails at Callahan are/were infected with visible worms.   There are dogs who roll in it and dogs who eat it, but your dog does not necessarily need to belong to either group to be at risk for worms (dogs step in it or on the soil it has contaminated; some infestations can occur thru the skin and paw contact; some, when dogs lick paws that had been exposed to the parasites; still others when they lick the lips of feces-eating dogs).

There are five types of intestinal worms or parasites, and effects can range from nuisance to… death. Dogs infested with roundworms for example –  which may be passed wholly in stool (is this what we saw??) – may experience vomiting, diarrhea, and show a generally unhealthy appearance. These worms also can cause intestinal blockages.  A general guide to worms in dogs can be found here: http://www.wormsindogs.org.

Worms are generally investigated at every annual exam (hence the fecal ‘gift’ to the vet tech at your well-pet check up);  be sure to being a sample to your darling’s next annual check-up (and it must be a fresh sample. An old or a frozen sample may not include live organisms, so may not yield accurate results).

Please, please, please for so many viable reasons: CLEAN UP AFTER YOUR DOG!!  And on behalf of the health of your dog, speak up to others who may be putting your precious pet at risk!

May 11, 2010

We’re on Facebook! Type “Callahan Dog Owners Group” into the search box, and we should pop right up. Don’t forget to “Like” our page to get the latest news in your feed.

May 9, 2010

WARNING: Cocoa mulch may be toxic to dogs and cats.

Sold at Target and at some garden supply stores, cocoa mulch contains theobromine and caffeine (which apparently are present in virtually all chocolate, but higher, more toxic concentrations are found in dark chocolate). According to the ASPCA, “dogs are highly sensitive to these chemicals (called methylxanthines). Low doses can cause mild gastrointestinal  upset (vomiting, diarrhea, and/or abdominal pain); higher doses can cause rapid heart rate, muscle tremors, seizures and death.”

“Eaten by a 50 pound dog, about 2 ounces of cocoa bean mulch may cause gastrointestinal  upset; about 4.5 ounces, increased heart rate; about 5.3 ounces, seizures; and over 9 ounces can cause death. (In contrast, a 50 pound dog can eat up to about 7.5 ounces of milk chocolate without gastrointestinal upset, and up to about a pound of milk chocolate without increased heart rate” – not that your dog should consume milk chocolate either!)

Some manufacturers of cocoa mulch proclaim that their products are theobromine-free and pet-safe, so be sure to check labels, OR choose another mulch form, such as a cedar-based product.

Clarification of an email making its way around the net can be found here:

http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/cocoamulch.asp

Additional information on this topic from the ASPCA can be found at these links:

http://tinyurl.com/le8m9n

http://www2.aspca.org/site/DocServer/CocoaMulch-NAACT.pdf?docID=1201