Dog parks in The Villages have been scheduled to shut down as of 8 p.m. Monday, March 23 as part of the latest wave of closings due to the Coronavirus.
All recreation centers are closing along with the Wilkerson Creek Playground at Lake Sumter Landing. Outside facilities at the recreation facilities remain open, with the exception of swimming pools, which were closed last week.
Tensions over dogs already run high in The Villages, where aesthetics and beauty are of utmost concern.
Closures in The Villages already have residents feeling squeezed with the shut down of swimming pools, movie theaters and the decision to pull the plug on nightly entertainment at the square.
The shut down of the dog parks will likely push owners to take their pets where resentment runs high – notably the postal stations. Residents who have have put signs in their yards pleading with pet owners to keep their dogs from doing their business previously have been ordered by Community Standards to remove the signs.
Let us know how you feel about this decision by submitting a Letter to the Editor.