Cortni Beasley and Brutus, an American Bulldog, play outside with new friends Monday at the Fitzsimmons Family Dog Park at Garden Park in Warwood. Because of unseasonably warm weather in recent weeks, the city of Wheeling opened one of the city's two dog parks early this season. (Photo by Eric Ayres)

WHEELING – Tails were wagging and pet owners were enjoying the unseasonably warm and pleasant weather Monday when the city of Wheeling opened the Fitzsimmons Family Dog Park in Warwood.

City officials said residents had been inquiring about the possibility of opening one or both of the dog parks in Wheeling in light of the spring-like temperatures that have graced the Ohio Valley recently. As a response to the requests from pet owners eager to let their dogs get some outdoor exercise, the city opened the facility near Garden Park in Warwood on Monday.

“I’ve been checking every day over the last couple of weeks since it was starting to warm up,” said Deidre Elias, who along with Michael Swiger were out at the dog park with their four-legged girls Ella, a pitbull-beagle mix, and Venus, a Corso-American pit mix. “They’re glad it’s open, for sure.”

Elias and Swiger recently moved to Warwood not far from the dog park.

“It’s only a couple blocks from the house,” Elias said.

“I saw in the news that it was going to be open,” said Swiger. “It’s convenient to have it so close.”

In previous years, Wheeling’s dog parks have typically not opened until around the first week of April, but city officials noted that it all depends on the weather and the conditions of the grounds.

Deidre Elias of Wheeling enjoys the sunshine Monday at the Fitzsimmons Family Dog Park in Warwood with four-legged friends Brutus, her dog Ella, and Arlo. Because of unseasonably warm weather in recent weeks, the city of Wheeling opened one of the city’s two dog parks early this season. (Photo by Eric Ayres)

City leaders said the early opening of the facility in Warwood will allow pet owners to utilize this dog park while the Fitzsimmons Family Dog Park in East Wheeling at Tunnel Green remains closed for now. Officials said the surface of the East Wheeling facility, the larger of the two city dog parks, is still drying out and not ready for its official spring opening just yet.

Elias said when the two dogs were smaller, they were more timid around other dogs when the parks got busy. They’ve since become much more social, she said.

“Now walking around, they want to play with every single dog they see,” she said.

Peyton Fields of Warwood brought Arlo, a long-haired German Shepherd, to play in the sunshine on Monday.

“He started coming last summer,” Fields said, noting that the family has brought dogs there since the facility opened a couple of years ago. “He likes other friendly dogs.”

One of those lovable canines on hand at the dog park on Monday was Brutus, an American Bulldog belonging to Jason Taylor and Cortni Beasley of Wheeling.

“Brutus goes to all the parks,” Beasley said. “He’s very friendly. It’s very convenient. It’s very pet friendly when it comes to other dogs. Owners are pretty good about keeping their dogs leashed if they tend to get aggressive.”

While the Warwood dog park will remain open as long as conditions are favorable, city officials noted pet owners should be aware that water service there will not yet be available until the weather breaks permanently. Visitors are encouraged to bring water for their dogs. The city does provide pet waste bags for visitors, and guests to the dog parks are asked to clean up after their pets and dispose of waste in the nearby trash receptacles to keep the parks clean.

The city operates the Fitzsimmons Family Dog Parks in Warwood and in East Wheeling. The Fitzsimmons Family Dog Park at Wheeling Park is operated by the Wheeling Park Commission. For the latest information on the Wheeling Park dog park, contact the Wheeling Park Commission at 304-243-4185. For information about the city’s parks and recreation amenities, including the latest on the East Wheeling dog park, visit wheelingwv.gov or follow the city’s official social media pages.