A new bus route has tails wagging and owners leaping for joy all over Boulder Colorado. Everyone loves to go to the park. The fresh air, the trees, all that green grass, and most importantly for us pet owners….all the open space to just let our dogs run free. As fun as dog parks are though the trip there isn’t always a picnic. First off if the inside of your car looks anything like mine, you’re gonna have make room for somebody besides the driver to sit. Next up is the issue of getting Fido inside the vehicle and if you have opted not to use a pet carrier than you have to worry about any surprises that might be left behind. Of course then there’s the traffic, the half hour spent looking for a parking spot, and the fear that puppy will try to use your latest cd as a chew toy….add all this up and it’s easy to see why many just decide to stay home.

Well now thanks to a new program in Boulder, Colorado the park is just a stop away. The program offers free rides for man and beast to a nearby historic park. According to transportation planner Chris Jones “A lot of people wanted to come to the park and take their dogs to open space, and they were forced to put the dogs in the car because they weren’t allowed on transit throughout the city.” The city decided this was the right thing to do after months of considering the best way to reduce traffic and parking. “The negative feedback has been a kennel on wheels where there’s worries of dogs barking and leaving messages and fighting. And in actuality, we have a few dogs a day and we haven’t had any problems. The drivers love it, the dogs love it and the guardians love it as well.”, adds Jones.

Wouldn’t it be great if programs like this began to spring up all over the country? If you know another city that has enacted a similar program or another which you believe our readers might be interested in, drop us a line and we’ll use your name in the story!