News
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Paws-Giving Pet Food Drive
Thank you to the Westminster Hills Dog Park Community for your donations, and to the Volunteers and the Standley Lake Rangers for your help. And thanks, too, to Mountain States Toyota for a Truckload of Pet Food, and to PetCo, PetSmart, G's Taco's and Front Range Gardens for your support.
To date, we've collected 4,845 pounds of pet food, and that's not counting all of the blankets, towels, beds, toys, treats, collars and leashes! Your big hearts and generosity brought huge smiles to all involved in the giving and receiving! See more photos.
PUP Party at the Park
Thank You to all of the 100+ Volunteers, PRL and Park Rangers, for your help with the Clean-Up at the Park on Saturday, October 18th. And thanks, too, to our Sponsors: Chuck & Don's, Kong, Lowes, and Petco. We value your support.
Despite the high winds, it was a huge success! The amount of poo/trash collected was considerably less than last year thanks to everyone cleaning up year-round.
To add a little FUN to the job at hand, the Guardians gave out Pup-Cups and Frisbees to many happy K9 companions. Let's continue to work together to keep the park clean!
Seasonal Kick-Off in the Park
The Guardians & Friends were in the Park on Saturday, September 20th, and on Sunday, September 21st. We shared lots of information and did an informal survey on park use.
On display were photos of Park-loving Friends and their Pets, the Guardians Timeline of activities and much more.
It was great to see everyone out and about enjoying the park. Thanks for your support.
Story in Westminster Window
The Guardians asked City Council to reroute one mile of the Greenway Trail around the perimeter of the Westminster Hills Open Space to protect the area from possible soil contamination from traffic traveling east from the former Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant, over the Indiana Street Bridge, into the park.
In addition to community safety, rerouting the trail would reduce user conflicts between the two main user groups: pedestrians with off-leash dogs and cyclists.
Success Story!
On Saturday, August 16th, lines began to form early for the Low Cost Vaccination Clinic sponsored by the City of Westminster. Everyone was excited to take advantage of this one-day opportunity.
Services included Rabies Vaccine, Bordetella, Leptospirosis, Distemper/Parvo, Feline Leukemia, Dewormer, and Microchip. Prices ranged from $5 to $30.
A total of 219 people brought their pets to the clinic for needed shots and services.
WHOS Dog Park Recognized as
One of the Best in Colorado!
UCHealth rated Westminster Hills Open Space Off-Leash Dog Park one of the best off-leash dog parks in Colorado! With roughly 470 acres of prairie and beautiful, panoramic views of the mountains to the west, the park offers virtually unlimited opportunities for owners and pets to unwind and enjoy the outdoors together. Come see for yourself.
Please follow the Park’s Rules and Regulations.
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Global Clean Up Week
In April, the Westminster City Council and PRL sponsored a city-wide Global Clean Up event at Parks and Open Spaces, including our WHOS Off-leash Dog Park.
Trash bags, gloves, and other supplies were provided. The community came out all week to support the clean up efforts and restore the park to its natural beauty.
THANK YOU to all who participated, and to Westminster City Council and PRL for the great BBQ lunch for volunteers following the event, and for the raffle prizes.
Western 600 Acres Closing March 1st
Starting on March 1, 2025, the western side of Westminster Hills Open Space, which includes roughly 600 acres from Indiana Street to Alkire Street, including Mower Pond, will transition to prohibit dogs. The objective is to preserve and restore the natural ecosystem that supports birds, wildlife and native species.
This change will not affect the existing 470 acres that the City of Westminster designated as the Westminster Hills Open Space Dog Off-Leash Natural Area (WHOSDOLNA) following significant community engagement last year.
Inaugural PUP Party Successful
Thank you for supporting our first PUP Party Clean-Up Day. Nearly 300 people volunteered to help. Over 20 large bags of waste were collected!
Community businesses supported the event with donations: Bailey's Pet Spa,
Card My Yard, Christian Brothers Automotive, Chuck and Don's, Kong, Lowes, and Poo Free Parks.
As we say, all For The Love of Dogs. It was a good day, and many people said,
"I love this Park."
The Environment at Westminster Hills
The Guardians are just as passionate about sustainability and responsible land management as we are about our four-legged friends! We feel strongly that we have a duty to preserve this treasured resource for generations to come.
To learn more about the history, boundaries and vegetation...
It's Official: We've Adopted the Park
Do you know the “Adopt-A-Street” program? Well, the Guardians have adopted the Westminster Hills Open Space Dog Off-Leash and Nature Area! This was done in partnership with the Westminster Parks, Recreation, and Libraries Department.
Adopting the dog park allows us to organize our own events both large and small. If you and your friends want to organize your own small clean-up event, please let us know! We can coordinate with the City to ensure that the necessary supplies (scoopers, trash bags, etc.) are available.
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Misrepresentation in Environmental Report
On June 24, 2024 through Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) requests, the Guardians have found hard evidence the “independent third-party” environmental report was altered by Westminster Parks, Recreation, and Libraries (PRL) staff to advance their dog-park shrinking agenda.
Read the full story:..
News Archive
In the Media
- Westminster gives an official go-ahead to metro area’s largest off-leash dog park
The Denver Post | July 9, 2024 - Westminster City Council votes to re-designate 400 acres as open space and off-leash dog area
9 News | July 9, 2024 - Westminster off-leash dog area to stay current size after city council vote
Fox 31 | July 9, 2024 - Westminster keeps size of enormous off-leash dog park — for now
Denver Gazette | July 8, 2024 - Opposing sides face off ahead of Westminster Hills Off Leash Dog Park vote for future of off-leash space northwest of Denver
CBS News | July 8, 2024 - UFC fighter Rose Namajunas fighting to save Metro Denver’s largest dog park. “This space is really special to me”
Denver Post | June 30, 2024 - Open Space Preservation Group Joins Fight to Reduce Westminster Dog Park
Westword | June 26, 2024 - Off-Leash Dogs or Native Prairie? Conflict Ensues Over Westminster Open Space.
Westword | June 11, 2024 - Rose Namajunas Details Surreal Nightmares Before Latest UFC Win
The MMA Hour | March 26, 2024 | See 20:05 - Westminster is threatening to shrink metro Denver’s largest off-leash dog park by more than 90% over poop and parking woes
Denverite | March 25, 2024 - Fight for four-legged freedom: Denver metro's largest off-leash dog park could shrink
The Denver Gazette | March 7, 2024 - Critics surround proposals to curtail off-leash dog area at Westminster Hills Open Space
Colorado Community Media | March 7, 2024 - Westminster may shrink the size, change the rules for off-leash dog park located in open space
9News | March 6, 2024 - Metro Denver’s largest dog park faces potential downsizing, sparking outcry
The Denver Post | March 6, 2024 - Reader Poll: Do you think the Westminster Hills Open Space dog park should be decreased in size from 400 acres to 33 acres due to environmental concerns? VOTE NOW.
The Denver Gazette | March 6, 2024 - Residents have another say on Westminster Hills Open Space off-leash dog proposal in March
Westminster Window | February 14, 2024 - Westminster residents speak before council to protect Colorado off-leash dog park
CBS News Colorado | February 13, 2024 - Residents of Colorado community fight back to keep open space dog park off-leash
CBS News Colorado | February 7, 2024 - City of Westminster considering several options for open space as residents fight to keep their dogs off-leash
Denver 7 | February 6, 2024 - Popular Westminster dog park could soon see reduction in off-leash space
9News | January 27, 2024
“A recent survey by Rover and Zillow showed that Denver tops the list for dog-friendly cities because dog owners put their dog’s well-being at or near the top of their criteria for deciding where to relocate.”