Almost 650,000 euros to renovate and upgrade six dog parks in Sagunto
New fencing, water supply, solar lamps and more shade: that is what six dog parks in Sagunto will get in a 649,878-euro council refurbishment starting next week and expected to last about six months.
Old fencing, broken benches, not a scrap of shade from the sun: that is the state of several of Sagunto's dog parks today, and it is exactly what the City Council now plans to fix with an investment of 649,878 euros, channelled through council-owned company Sociedad Anónima de Gestión (SAG) and awarded to contractor Becsa. Work begins next week and is due to run for around six months. With new residents moving in and more pets in Sagunto households, these dog-exercise spaces have become an increasingly in-demand service, and their poor state has long been a source of complaints from the people who use them daily.
Six sites will be renovated, one after another and never at the same time: the parks on Avenida 3 de Abril and Avenida Pianista Mario Monreal, on Calle Luis Caudau Marco, Calle Catedràtic Josep Lluís Blasco Estellés and Calle Ramón y Cajal, and at Plaza Cella. That staggered approach -not starting the next park until the previous one is finished- addresses a very specific concern: making sure pet owners in each neighbourhood are not left without a nearby alternative while the work is under way.
So what exactly is changing? At all six sites, the current fencing will be replaced with a mixed enclosure -a low wall topped with metal mesh- and double gates at the entrance, designed to stop pets slipping out as people come and go. The ground will change too: concrete in access, rest and furniture areas, and gravel everywhere else, a combination meant to make both cleaning and access easier. On top of that comes a new water and drainage network to supply irrigation and dog fountains alike, plus bins with bag dispensers and solar-powered lamps that will not depend on the electricity grid. Existing furniture -benches, mainly- will be kept and repaired wherever possible, with only the most worn-out pieces replaced.
Vegetation is the project's other major focus: ornamental shrubs chosen for low water use and roots suited to the Mediterranean climate, plus trees that will be moved, swapped or added depending on each park's needs, all with one clear aim -enough shade to make summer visits bearable.
The project fits into a broader trend of growing pet ownership in Spanish households, a shift that has led many town councils to review their provision of dog spaces in recent years, both for reasons of neighbourly coexistence -keeping dogs from roaming loose through children's playgrounds or walkways- and because pet owners themselves increasingly expect higher animal-welfare standards. In Sagunto's case, that growth comes on top of the town's overall population increase linked to new industry moving in, adding further pressure on this kind of local infrastructure.
Sociedad Anonima de Gestion (SAG), the council-owned company channelling the investment, usually manages other public-space projects across the town, from park and garden maintenance to small urban development works, which makes it the council's standard tool for carrying out refurbishments of this scale without having to process a separate contract for every single park. The choice of contractor Becsa to carry out the work follows a prior public procurement process, standard practice for municipal projects of this mid-size scope.
The City Council has said that, once these six refurbishments are complete, it will assess together with local pet-owner associations whether new dog parks are needed in other neighbourhoods of Sagunto and Puerto de Sagunto.
The City Council will provide regular updates on each project's progress through its usual communication channels.
Not every park is getting the same amount: the Ramón y Cajal park takes by far the biggest share, 190,268 euros, almost three times the smallest allocation, 28,489 euros for the park on Calle Catedràtic Josep Lluís Blasco Estellés. In between come Avenida 3 de Abril (137,175 euros), Avenida Pianista Mario Monreal (123,831 euros), Calle Luis Caudau Marco (117,189 euros) and Plaza Cella, between Calle América and Calle Talleres (52,923 euros). The gap reflects each site's size and starting condition rather than any ranking of priority between neighbourhoods. While work is under way, users in each area will need to find a park not yet under renovation until the works reach the one closest to home. According to Sagunto City Council.