The Town of Saugerties officially opened a park for dogs and their owners on Tuesday afternoon, October 24. In attendance were town officials, community members, dogs and their owners. Also at the ceremony was Conrad — the benefactor who put up much of the cash needed to establish the park. He has requested anonymity.
While the town has wanted a dog park for years, supervisor Fred Costello said the final push may have been the offer of financing for most of the cost of a park if the town would provide the land to build it on and the labor to build it.
Conrad said he had wanted a place for his two dogs to run free, so he approached the town. “He asked me about a town dog park, and I told him we wanted one, but it would be very expensive,” said Costello. “He asked how much we needed, and he took out a checkbook and wrote a check. I could hardly believe it.” He declined to give the exact amount, but said it was more than $30,000.
The dog park is located on Canoe Hill Road at the northeast edge of the Cantine Field complex. Canoe Hill Road is, in effect, an extension of Market Street. Costello said the town will install a sign.
At the dedication, Costello said Saugerties has a variety of amenities for citizens, with a sports complex that includes fields for a variety of sports, as well as parks throughout the town, but it has lacked a park for dogs and their owners. Patti Kelly of Saugerties said the park looks great. “I’ve really wanted this for a long time,” she said.
Join the family! 
