Bremen Grove Dog Park Opens to Pooches, Residents

Those excited barks and yips you hear from your furry pal who wants to go out and run around uninhibited by a leash? Consider them a thing of the past, thanks to the opening of the Bremen Grove Dog Park, located near 159th Street on Oak Park Avenue, on Nov. 17.

“It's a soft opening,” said Alderman Laura Clemons, who is also chairperson for the Bark For A Park Comittee. “They're planning on having a larger, grand opening in the spring.”

The dog park, which features two separate areas for large and small dogs, sits on seven acres of land in Bremen Grove, which is controlled by the Cook County Forest Preserve District. The off-leash dog park is one of two such areas operated within the county, with the other located in Des Plaines.

Previously, Forest Preserve Spokesperson Karen Vaughan said that dog parks aren't exactly something the district would take on, but that thanks to community input, the park was included in the Oak Forest Heritage Master Plan.

“During the process of developing the Oak Forest Heritage Master Plan, which is next to the health center campus, we heard from a lot of residents who wanted to see a dog park in the Southland,” she said. “After looking at it, we determined that site wasn't the appropriate place, but we did agree we would work with them and look at some other sites, so that's how this particular site was chosen.”

Residents of Cook County looking to secure a pass to the dog park can find a form online at the Forest Preserve District's website. Permits are $50 for county residents and $100 for non-residents, all dogs applying for a permit must also have all current vaccinations as well.

For more information about the dog park, contact the Cook County Forest Preserve District at 708-771-1070.