DAPHNE — Pet owners are close to having an area for unleashing their dogs legally, as the city puts final touches on its first leashless dog park.

The project, spearheaded by Councilman Gus Palumbo, will allow citizens to bring their pets to the park, where they can roam freely.

“Having a leash law in the city, there was no place in the city to let the dog off the leash and let them run. It is illegal,” Palumbo said.

“We had a number of citizens that were walking their dogs near Bayfront Park and Village Point,” he said. “They approached us with the idea of having a dog park where they could take the leash off and let the dogs run and do what dogs do.”

The 100- by 300-foot park — located behind Trione Park on Whispering Pines Road — is nearing completion and should be open next month.

A credit about the location, according to Palumbo, is the city already owned the land.

“We did not have to acquire the land and it is not in a residential neighborhood where people would be complaining about dogs barking,” he said. “All we really had to do was run some water lines and put up a chain-link fence.”

The final elements of the park will be put in place next week, according to Public Works Director Melvin McCarley.

“We have to pour a cement slab for the water fountain and put up the fence,” McCarley said.

The fountain, Palumbo said, is designed to serve both dogs and their owners. “It is all in one piece. Down low to the ground is a trough for the dogs to drink from and up top is a fountain for the dog owners to use.”

The park will have some rules to provide a safe environment for the dogs and their owners.

“We looked at rules from other areas that have similar parks,” Palumbo said. “The dogs will have to be on a leash until they are inside the gates and must be accompanied by someone over 16 years old.

“The dogs will probably have to have all their shots and licensed, and we will not allow any aggressive dogs.”

The complete set of rules will be considered by various committees before being voted on by the City Council and being posted at the park.

One safety precaution built into the park, according to McCarley, is the design of the gate.

“There will be two gates. When you come through the first one you close it and then enter the second gate,” he said. The design is to prevent another person’s dog from escaping the park through an open gate.

The park is the first of its kind in south Alabama, according to Daphne Mayor Fred Small.

“It’s going to be a nice place for citizens to bring their dogs,” he said. “We plan to put some benches out there for owners to sit on while their pets run and play.”

“This will give them a proper place in a controlled area to let their dogs play,” he added.

“We are excited about the facility,” Palumbo said. “We have found that most of the time the owners enjoy these kinds of parks as much — or more — than the dogs.”