Horner Park Advisory Council

Horner Park Advisory Council is the volunteer body that works with the Chicago Park District on Horner Park and four neighboring parks, Clark and California Parks among them. For dog owners it matters for one concrete reason: the council funds the park's off-leash Dog Friendly Area.

The dog connection

The council describes the Horner Park Dog Friendly Area as "a playspace for dogs and humans alike" — 25,000 square feet, with a water play area, a separate small dog area, a drinking fountain, natural landscaping and benches. The square footage is the council's own figure; the Chicago Park District does not publish per-site dimensions.

This is how most Chicago dog parks actually work. The Park District owns the land and sets the rules, but the money and the upkeep come from a neighborhood council. If a Dog Friendly Area near you has a working fountain and a surface that drains, a volunteer committee is usually the reason.

Getting involved

The council meets on the first Wednesday of each month at 7pm, on the second floor of the Horner Park field house at California and Montrose. Meetings are the normal way in; the site also carries Get Involved and Donate pages, and runs a Brew Fest, a farmers market and a concert series that fund the work. Email is info@hornerpark.org.