Grove Shafter Park

I just look at it. Already I’ve got the gut feeling, HELL TO THE FRIGGIN NO WAY! It looks like a disaster area of bacteria, fleas waiting to hop on my doggie’s backs, for me to bring back home. NO sir ree bob.
I’ma going to look elsewhere!

I doubt the city maintains it as much as they should considering that I was in there no longer than 6 minutes before stepping on some poop. The small dog area is maintain quite well by a transient who’s actually set up quite a space for herself, her belongings and 2 pit bull mixed dogs. Although they don’t seem to be a threat to my small terrier mix you just never know what could happen when you mix a curious pup like mine who’s constantly being under supervision and is in training opposed to someone who just lives with a dog or two for companionship.
Hate to jump the gun and label them unsafe but I’m just not convinced.
I was told that the large area gets heavily packed on the weekdays so guess I’ll have to check it out someday other than an easter Sunday. Overall I’d come back for some basic doggy dog pissing and pooping needs

The dog park good for a quick play day, but it’s not clean and it doesn’t look like the city maintains it

The area in front of the dog park is wonderful for dogs! There are puppies running around happily, it’s all grassy and mowed, like a well-​kept, dog-​friendly yard. The way a dog park should be. Then there is the actual dog park itself, which is filled with wood chips and trash and smells like wood chips, thankfully not trash. It is also nice and big though.
Get it together, Oakland! If you can bring your tiny little puppy into the grocery store, you should be able to pony up for a decent puppy park..

My friend refers to this as Vagina Park and it seemed like the dog’s bollocks when I moved into the neighborhood recently. Plenty of space for my vicious chihuahua/​min-​pin mix to run around not retrieving his mini-​chuckit and not socializing with the other pups. There’s a disproportionate amount of pit bulls at this park, but I’ve never seen one act inappropriately — even when my little asshat started snipping at one. Yep, I’m the d-​bag who brings his tiny dog into the big dog area to play. He’s really a pit at heart, he just missed the memo on his minute stature.
Despite the area (which is run down and kinda dirty — watch your step), this park is usually pretty clean and the dog run areas are decently maintained. I ended up with shit shoes way more often at the park in downtown Berkeley.
I stopped taking my dog to Grover Shafter because he kept picking up fleas like nobody’s business and it was driving me nucking futs dealing with those bouncing bastards. No more vagina park, no more fleas. Hmmm.
The basketball courts are in good repair and the illicit dealings seem nil or well disguised as friendly embraces. Were I going back to this park, I wouldn’t go at night without my vicious ankle-​biter and an invisibility cloak to throw on in a pinch.

Eh, it’s a dog park. There’s a big dog zone and a small dog zone. Grass, weeds, and woodchips. I mean, there’s nothing wrong with it, but there’s nothing really great either. I haven’t been there a bunch, but there aren’t usually a lot of people there. Saw some punks with their dogs today.