CLAREMONT — Sullivan County’s largest communities will soon join other Upper Valley municipalities with fenced-in dog parks.

In Claremont, the park will be on a portion of a field near the entrance to Moody Park.

In Newport, the dog park is to sit along the Sugar River behind the Dollar General Store on Route 11-103.

The new amenities both should be completed and ready for use later this spring.

Moody Park is already a popular dog-walking location with wooded trails on more than 300 acres. The city has removed tennis courts that were next to the field and will convert that area into parking.

The dog park there will be divided by fences, to keep large and small dogs in separate areas, Justin Martin, acting director of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, said recently.

There will be a small transition area with a gate where dog owners can unleash their pets and then open a second gate to the main enclosure. Inside the park, dogs can get some additional exercise on agility equipment.

Earlier this week, with the weather more like spring than winter, a number of dog walkers were at Moody Park. In general, the dog park is being well received but not all owners said it would be right for their pet.

One dog walker said the idea could work as a place for small dogs to run around, but he thought many dog owners and their dogs would prefer the trails in the park to a fenced-in area.

Dog parks can be great or dangerous depending on the dogs and their owners, Mitch Bunnell, a dog trainer from Charlestown, said on Tuesday.

Bunnell had just finished a walk on the trails with his 2-year-old Belgian Malinois, Trigger.

“I think it is great for a lot of people, especially those who don’t have a yard for their dogs to play,” Bunnell said, adding that it is important for owners to clean up after their dogs in order for the park to be used regularly. “It will also be a good place to socialize dogs as long as the owners do it respectfully.”

Fred Hesch said he brings his Havanese, which is a smaller breed, to Moody Park almost every day.

“I think it is a good idea,” Hesch said about the park. “My dog is a little shy, but I think we would try it and see how he likes it.”

Construction of the park fencing and agility equipment will cost about $25,000 and is being paid for with American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, money the city received, Martin said.

“It will provide a safe place for dogs to be off their leash and interact with each other,” he said.

With hiking, biking, disc golf, a play structure and now a dog park, the new parking is an important piece of the overall Moody Park project, Martin said.

Newport

Finance Director Paul Brown told the Selectboard recently he would be meeting with the contractor soon to discuss when the fencing will be erected. The town-owned parcel has been cleared and the design work completed, Brown said.

“We should be ‘dog-parking’ this spring,” he said.

The park, which has been discussed for more than two years, will be about a half acre, Brown said.

The estimated cost of $50,000 is being covered by grants, including a Bark for Your Park grant the town received a few years ago, and ARPA funds.

Other Upper Valley communities with formal dog parks include Enfield, White River Junction and Windsor.

Those lamenting the loss of the Moody Park tennis court can take heart. Another park project in the works in Claremont is construction of new tennis courts and pickleball courts at Veterans Park.

City officials plan to use about $250,000 of ARPA funds and are waiting to hear on a grant application for a matching amount from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, Martin said.

The courts will be constructed in the area where the outdoor pool was located before being dismantled several years ago.

Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.