A really nice place to bring your dog for some fresh air and socialization. They have two penned in areas- for small dogs and larger dogs. We were a little surprised to see the gate and fence in the small dog area badly mangled. Not sure if that was vandalism or vehicle damage, but it looks terrible. One other thing bothered me a lot, and that was the crabby self appointed guardian of the small dog area that cross-examined us the minute we entered the pen. Her shockingly rude and inappropriate behavior left us flabbergasted. It seems that keeping our dog leashed rubbed her the wrong way. Lady, who are you to sit there like the Queen of Sheba sitting on her throne and have the audacity to tell us what to do? Lady, first of all - you don't know our dog, and second of all - we don't know the other dogs, so what makes you think you have the right to talk down to us like a kindergarten teacher admonishing her kids for putting the yellow crayons in with the reds? What makes you think you have the right to tell us (and I quote exactly word for word) "maybe you shouldn't be here". Other than that, we had a very nice time. read more

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Always busy at the dog park, at least 3 or 4 doggos each time I've been around (weekly) everyone seems friendly. Occasionally you'll see the more aggressive playing, but overall it seems like a hit to get your fur babies socializing and meeting others. Also plenty of parting and places for food, walking, lunch, and drinks nearby. read more

We came here after being disappointed that a closer one didn't have any dogs for socialization. We were happy to find lots of nice owners and dogs here. The park itself is well maintained with mostly mulch ground and smaller area of grass. There is a small dog area that is sectioned off. There are hoses with running water which is convenient for drinking and hosing down after a dirty play session. There are poop bag stations which are well stocked. We'll definitely be back here again with our furbaby. read more

It was my first time bringing my small dog to a dog park and I must say it was a wonderful experience. The place was very clean and safe. Fresh water was provided along with doggie bags. The dog owners were very friendly, respectful and kind of guided us along. We were very comfortable and everyone stayed 6 feet apart. We made a few friends and most importantly my dog had a blast. I highly recommend this place. We will definitely be back soon. read more

Paw Meadow Dog Park - Small dog section - Dog Parks Near Me - Simsbury, Connecticut

Always having a great time. My puppy loves meeting new friends and being social. Great group of dogs. We need more friends in the small dogs pen. Great community. So much fun. Best time to bring your small dogs is 1:30 - 4 PM on weekends. read more

Paw Meadow Dog Park - My daughter Sky (Pomeranian Mix) and her boyfriend Mickey (Chihuahua) playing in the small dogs pen. - Dog Parks Near Me - Simsbury, Connecticut

Really great park for our dog! Large space to run with mulch on the ground so not a lot of dirt not dust. Pool with water was nice as were picnic benches for moms and dads to watch their dogs. Well maintained! read more

This park is a large fenced in area filled with dirt and mulch. While I love the fact that I can let my dog run free, I hate that he is a huge mess when it's time to leave since this place is basically a big dirty sandbox. There are water bowls next to a water source and an adjacent smaller fenced area for those tiny guys. They have bags for waste disposal and a few benches to hangout while you let your pooch burn some energy. read more

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Wonderful park with well socialized dogs and responsible owners. The park is well thought out and nicely maintained. We are from CO and spending time with family. By far the nicest park we've found in the Hartford area. read more

This dog park is not what you would expect. Already well worn, mostly dirt and just feels uncared for. Owners a bit stand offish and not well versed in dog park etiquette. Tucked away behind Simsbury Performing Arts Center, it is hard to find and out of the way. I would be concerned about safety. read more

Great Dog park! Large dog and Small dog areas, fun dogs, friendly owners, never had an issue with any dog of their owners. Hose for water in the warm months. Small dog area could have been designed to be bigger. Would be nice to see the right side of the park sectioned off for small dogs and give the rest of the space to the larger dogs. Then both areas can share the shaded section as small area has no shade in the summer months. There seems to be a lot of children going into the park. My dog is a rescue and pretty sure he was abused by little kids in his past life. Due to the abuse he will bite little kids unprovoked. Three times now we were unable to go into the park due to little kids. Sucks because I live in an apartment building and I go there to get him exercise. read more

My puppy needed socializing so we visited the park on a Friday afternoon and had a great time. The people and dogs were terrific and made us feel welcome. There were doggie bags and water. I just wish there were more wood chips or grassy areas. My guy rolled in and dug holes in the dirt and had a blast. read more

I have been to many dog parks in many areas of the country (CA, WI, NC...) and can testify to how great this park is. Paw Meadow is a great resource for our state. The atmosphere is helpful and people are kind, dogs are mostly well-behaved, if a bit rowdy, but it is a DOG park. It's where they get to run run run and play play play. Of course, you may find some faults with it, but keep in mind that IF you do not care enough to help, then you might be part of the flaw. read more

The dogs and I have been to dog parks in the DC, Philadelphia, and Boston areas, and in general Paw Meadow is great. It's very large, and in theory is set up so that even when there's a large number of visitors, separate groups of dogs could play in different areas and keep out of each other's' way. Water and bowls are available in the warmer months, and there are always a million balls and at least one Chuk-it. When I've been disappointed, it's been because there are a few pushy dogs and clueless people making it unsafe, or because there's no one there. Visitors, it is so, so important for everyone's safety that you unleash your dog in the "airlock" space and that your dog is never on a leash when in the actual dog park. If you do what I've observed many folks do and walk your dog into the park still on the leash, the other dogs will rush over and if your dog feels uncomfortable or wants space from them, he is trapped by the leash. This is a huge trigger for fights, as the leashed dog feels claustrophobic and threatened. He has no alternative but to defend himself. The other safety issue I observed here is that visitors allow their dogs to crowd the entry gate. I have seen dogs get trapped in the airlock as the owners of the other dogs were unable or not interested in calling them away from the gate, and the new visitor was unwilling to wait until they lost interest to open the gate. It's not a nice way for new visitors to be greeted. Human visitors could stand away from the gate to help reduce crowding. Lastly, for many of the dogs who go here, this is their only outlet, which does make for some additional tension. But you can generally get the park all to yourself if you go in the morning, and most people and dogs who visit here are perfectly nice. read more

My dogs love this place!! We go a lot and pretty much all the dogs and their owners behave !!

Visiting the park with our little Westie has become a weekly outing each weekend and we love that she can run loose safely and socialize with other dogs. I've heard about some of other town parks having issues with people with aggressive dogs whose owners don't seem to "get it", but we have not seen this with the Simsbury park (though there are rumors sometimes of it during the week I guess). It's nice to have such a large area for the dogs and so far it's been well taken care of and people seem to be respectful and aware that this is beneficial and not something every town has and pick up after their dogs and stuff. read more

I visited the park last weekend even though it's not officially open yet. . They will formally open May 19th 2012 with a ribbon cutting, food, music, vendors, games, prizes and exhibits. The dog park is 100% supported by the community. They still need to raise funds for landscaping, mulch, additional park furnishings and to create a fund for ongoing maintenance and upkeep. Overall, my first impression of the park is fabulous. There is a separate small dog area and large open area with shade and sun, running water and bowls as well as a picnic table. My small Maltese prefers grass or dirt compared to the mulch that is currently down, but I understand that the mulch is probably easier for upkeep. In comparison to most of the other dog parks I've visited, I love the location and community feel of the park. It's right next to the band shell and playscape in the heart of Simsbury and I'm sure my pup enjoyed herself :) read more

Paw Meadow Dog Park - Dog Parks Near Me - Simsbury, Connecticut

My kids and I Loved this park. We have small dogs, so they bark a lot, initially, yet once acclimated, they quiet down and enjoy the area. Chihuahuas are notoriously, a yappy breed, so its to be expected. We warn people it won't last, so be patient with us. Great park as mentioned, minus a few observations. #1 One concern was the Big Dogs, in the Small Dog section. #2 Big poops people don't clean up and size of area for small dogs. We brought our own bags and cleaned up after our dogs, chatted with lots of nice people, felt comfortable, especially with Simsbury Police presence and the cops, playful demeanor. Please accept our constructive criticism and positive suggestions, in good faith, improving safety and security at this area, avoiding, preventable, disasters. Our little ones got ruffed up by Big Dogs in designated area for small dogs, we dealt with it respectfully, yet no one should have to deal with this because its meant for small dogs only. People should respect the rules and policies 'Paw Meadow Dog Park' has posted before, entering the space. Suggestion: Maybe adding, another Section, where medium size dogs can play would help visitors feel relaxed, allowing their medium size dogs to play with dogs their size. We had a tough time watching our 5 pound dogs get tossed around, slammed and pushed down by Big dogs, who appeared to be approximately 50 to 60 pounds, in weight. Hate sharing this experience because we loved this park, definitely want to come back, so we hope you attempt to improve the things that do not cost Money, first. There is room for improvement and cordial existence at this park because those of us, who live in Condos, Townhouses, apartments or do not have fenced in backyards at Home, appreciate this Dog Park and would love to help improve it. Our dogs are small, so they where exhausted when they got home, which was our goal, in addition to socialization. Suggestion: Please consider, adding a medium size, dog section, elongating the small dog section, so the little ones can run. We have a porky Chihuahua, who loves to run fast, which would encourage my kids to run back and forth to exercise her. Suggestion: Weather resistant, Obstacle courses, or concreate blocks where dogs would naturally file their own nails down, playing. It would be a cool addition to this park to add, concrete sections, helping dogs and their owners, who hate cutting nails, easier for clean up for all, including park volunteers. I'm sure we can get a company to simply drop some concrete if this was approved by the Town of Simsbury Town Council or the appropriate Board. Concrete is a cheap way to minimize the mud, mess it creates, easy clean up for everyone, benefits dogs and their owners, in several ways as long as it is deemed safety and security appropriate. Ideas are good to share for improvement. For mature adults, please add a few more benches, when the funds are available. We will donate to help. Like I said, there is room for improvement here, and we are coming back! Best regards, Patti read more

From Iron Horse there is not signage that shows the entrance to the park - look for a green dog waste stand and a dirt driveway. The sand and mulch mix makes for a messy pooch, but a happy dog after an afternoon at the dog park. The space is large for big dogs, but the small dog section is tiny. Some of the dog parents you can tell are regulars and are a bit obnoxious, but their dogs aren't. :) read more

We've been to this park 4 times with our little pug. At 23 pounds, she's borderline small dog/big dog but there is very little room in the small dog area and she likes to run around. Each time we've taken her into the large dog area. This last time, there were 4-5 dogs already playing in the area, getting along fine. When we tried to enter, they all crowded around the gate. The owners were sitting at the picnic table. When I opened the gate, one dog growled and another dog attacked her. It happened so quickly I was shocked. The dogs, who had seemed so friendly a minute ago, stood there growling and penning her in while the most aggressive dog tried to grab her by the neck. The owner made her way over to us, but I had time to knee her dog twice to get her off my pug, unsuccessfully. I wanted to reach for my dog to get her out of the middle but was terrified that I'd get attacked. When the owner got her dog leashed and I was able to get out, she apologized, saying her dog had never acted that way before. She asked if we were okay, and I thought we were. I was so upset I couldn't think. I didn't get any of her contact information before she left. We took our dog over to the (empty) small dog side to get calmed down. That's when I noticed she was bleeding. Her belly had 3 long scratches and she was scratched and bleeding across her chest. One of her ears had a deep gash. We left immediately for the vet's office. In the end, our pug is okay. But what started out as a "nice day out" ended in the vet's office with a $90 bill and a pretty agitated family. My vet informed us in no uncertain terms that she dislikes dog parks. Period. We were her second visit THAT DAY for a dog park fight. She advised us to keep to the yard and long walks on quiet streets. read more

Nice to have, but disappointing. I'm glad we have a dog park, but this could be much improved upon. Please get better quality mulch next time you need to replace it, it is currently a splinter pit. Please add benches and shade!!! Perhaps some local businesses or people would donate benches/seating and pergolas (or something along that line). Maybe a Eagle Scout could build some for their project and make a donation? Lighting for winter nights would be nice too as it's dark when most of us get home from work. I realize lighting and size is not as simple as benches and shade, but hope to see improvements the in near future. read more