Railyard Dogs

The Railyard Dogs

“My goal in life is to be as good of a person as my dog already thinks I am.”   
- Unknown

Railyard Dogs is a collection of citizens joined together for the purpose of improving the lives of downtown dogs and their relationship with the entire community, with one major contribution being the construction of a dog park in downtown Denver.

This website is all about that park.  Please take a look around, learn about the plans and how to get involved.  And, if you're a dog lover or just someone who wants to make downtown Denver and even better place to live, please click the Donate button to help make the Railyard Dog Park a reality.

City's Design Criteria

"No man can be condemned for owning a dog. As long as he has a dog, he has a friend; and the poorer he gets, the better friend he has."
- Will Rogers

The City of Denver and a number interested of citizens have established a set of guidelines for off-leash parks in the metropolitan area. Those guidelines have generally been followed in the design of Railyard Dog Park. Where the design has varied from the city's program, approval has been granted.

The Design

The Planner

"In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn't merely try to train him to be semi human.
The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility of becoming partly a dog."
- Edward Hoagland

For more than 65 years, EDAW has used a collaborative approach to landscape architecture to shape sustainable environments across the globe. The company is one of the pre-eminent landscape architects/urban planners in the world, with work from China to Washington, DC to Denver. (EDAW designed the master plan for Stapleton and its dog park.)

In the words of President and CEO Joe Brown, "EDAW is an idea-driven firm, whether the idea comes from science, planning, or design. The distinguishing quality in a democratic design and planning environment is its ability to push its people toward the powerful, profound ideas, and to stave off complacency. The best idea wins."

EDAW has graciously agreed to provide design services free of charge.

The Case For Space

"Living with a dog is easy - like living with an idealist."
- H.L. Mencken

The parks, recreational areas and open spaces of Denver are used for myriad purposes. Denver is one of the most active cities in America and its residents are runners, bikers, walkers, skaters, cross-country skiers, kayakers, swimmers, tennis players and golfers. And the city of Denver has provided outlets for all of them.

In downtown Denver and the Highland neighborhood, there are over 5,000 licensed dogs, suggesting that the number of dogs is actually twice that. However, there is not an off-leash dog park within six miles of Union Station, the heart of these neighborhoods.

The benefits of an off-leash dog park are many.