Cheyenne Animal Shelter Dog Park Closing Indefinitely

Officials with the Cheyenne Animal Shelter say they can't get insurance coverage for the CAS dog park, forcing what they are calling an "indefinite closure" of the park

That's according to the Cheyenne Animal Shelter Facebook page.

Get our free mobile app

According to the post, the park was initially closed earlier this year for repairs and cleanup. The post says one problem was vandalism "The park has repeatedly fallen victim to significant vandalism—equipment destroyed, signage defaced, and both fencing and landscaping intentionally damaged. Compounding this was a persistent issue with garbage dumping and a widespread failure by some visitors to pick up after their pets."

But what no one saw coming was an insurance issue. As the facility tried to renew the insurance for the park as it has done annually, shelter officials learned that wasn't going to happen this time. They were told that "our carrier will no longer provide liability insurance for the dog park. In the current insurance landscape, the park has become uninsurable for a private non-profit entity."

So What Happens Next?

According to the post, many dog parks across the country are operated as part of  city parks and recreation departments. The Cheyenne Animal Shelter is a private, non-profit organization.

The post poses a question of whether a municipal partnership might be the answer. That could solve the insurance issue because local governments can get governmental immunity provisions that aren't available to private organizations.

Other possibilities might be some sort of volunteer coalition, or perhaps new funding sources that haven't been explored.

Anyone who has any thoughts on the closure of the park is being asked to email  DogPark@caswyo.org..