Ashlee Cabral was hoping Barrington officials would create a temporary dog park in town. 

And while that did not happen, the president of the Friends of Barrington Dog Park is comforted by the fact that at least the council now knows her group exists.

The Maple Avenue resident attended the Barrington Town Council meeting on May 5 and explained the situation facing local dog owners. Cabral, the president of the Friends of Barrington Dog Park, said dog owners have been looking for alternative locations to exercise their dogs ever since the town closed the Kimberly Perrott Memorial Dog Park in mid-April. 

Cabral referenced a recent confrontation at Chianese Park baseball field between a dog owner and a Little League coach. Cabral said the creation of a temporary dog park in Barrington would help keep dogs off ball fields. 

The request to create a temporary dog park hit a snag when councilors asked Cabral if her group could pay for the temporary fencing needed for a park. Cabral said the Friends did not have the fence funding, which was estimated to cost more than $5,000.

Despite the council’s decision, Cabral was encouraged by the experience. 

“Not completely (disappointed),” Cabral said. “I mean, I understand that was a possibility but it is good that they have us on their radar now. I mean, it’s kind of sad that they (the town council members) didn’t know we existed until recently, but at least now maybe we can have some kind of cooperative relationship with the town and the town council, where they’re like ‘Oh, we’re doing this at Haines Park… what about the dog park?’ We’re not going to be forgotten, like we usually are,” Cabral said. 

The president of the Friends of Barrington Dog Park said she was hopeful council pressure could prompt the Haines Park field project contractor to reopen the dog park sooner than initially planned. 

“Yeah, it’s disappointing that they see it as a temporary problem, but at least now maybe they’ll be the ones to put some fire under the contractor, like, ‘Let’s wrap it up, get that field closed up so we can get the dogs back in,’” Cabral said.

“And I’ll be following up on that as well. Just like, ‘Where are we at?’”