The Sunnyside Dog Park offers 5.3 acres of space with 1/3 mile of trails - including ADA-accessible trails, a path through the woods, an open meadow area, and a smaller, separate area for dogs who need their own space.

Dog Park Notifications

Click Here to register for the Sunnyside Dog Park Nofity Me list! You'll get emails and/or texts when there are dog park closures, volunteer work days, etc.  Please remember to set your spam blocker to allow mail from listserv@civicplus.com.

Park Rules

No more that 15 dogs allowed at one time

Rules provide a reminder of safe actions to protect both dogs and their owners. Users of this Dog Park are expected to abide by the following rules:

1. Aggressive dogs, dogs in heat, sick dogs, dogs under 4 months of age, and dogs not fully vaccinated are not allowed in the park.
2. All dogs must be licensed and up-to-date on vaccinations. Dogs are required to wear a visible municipal license and I.D. tag.
   (Dog licenses available on the City website).
3. Dogs must be kept on leash and restrained until inside the fenced area and when leaving the park area. The owner/handler must have the leash in their possession at all times.
4. Dogs must be under the owner/handler’s voice command.
5. Owners/handlers are expected to be close to their dogs and keep an eye on their dog(s) at all times so any conflicts can be quickly dissipated.
6. Owners are responsible for their dogs’ actions. Dog owners are legally and financially liable for injuries or damages caused by their dog(s).
   WI Statute Ann.174.02(1)
7. Owners/handlers are responsible for picking up after their dog and disposing of waste in the provided waste containers.
8. Owners/handlers must immediately remove their dog(s) if the dog(s) repeatedly demonstrates aggressive behavior.
9. Do not allow your dog to dig along the fence.
10. No climbing on the fence by humans or dogs.
11. Owners should never leave their dog(s) unattended in the park.
12. Human food, smoking, and glass containers are not allowed in the park.
13. Children should be closely supervised by an adult at all times.

Use common sense to help keep our beautiful park clean and safe. Thank you.

For emergency public safety situations call 911
For non-emergency public safety situations call 270-4300

Park History

On March 14, 2017, the Fitchburg City Council voted unanimously for the park at the northeast corner of Irish Lane and Fish Hatchery Road to be named Sunnyside Park. The name celebrates Fitchburg's rich agricultural history and honors the Wilke family, who lived and worked in Fitchburg. Maxine Wilke, age 95 in 2017, owned and operated the successful Sunnyside Hatchery with her husband Carl on the parkland from the 1950s to 1990s. Maxine was in attendance with her grandson Chris Hammen at the Common Council Meeting when Sunnyside Park was approved on 3/28/17, and also at the Park's grand opening on 6/30/17.

Supporters

The Fitchburg Dog Park has a long list of supporters through sponsorships, cash donations, in-kind donations, and volunteer hours. We thank our community in and around Fitchburg, WI for your support and would like to recognize the following individuals and organizations:

If you are interested in financially supporting the ongoing park maintenance and improvements, or to donate towards a memorial tree: tax deductible donations can be sent directly to the City of Fitchburg, earmarked "Dog Park Maintenance."

City of Fitchburg
Dog Park Maintenance
5520 Lacy Road
Fitchburg, WI 53711

$10,000 and above • Top of the Park

Maxine M. Wilke and Family

$5,000-$9,999 • Top Dog

Bank of America Charitable Foundation
Rachel Burnham-Holdener

$2,000-$4,999 • Top Dog 

Country View Veterinary Service
Zak Esch
Fitchburg-Verona Rotary Club
Jake Johnson
Pet Supplies Plus
Laura Portz
Vince & Amy Steger – For Ralphie
Diane & Steve Streck

$1,000-$1,999 • Top Dog

Fitchburg Chamber Visitor & Business Bureau
Happy Dogz Day Care
John & Holly Hein
Odyssey Veterinary Care
The Paster Family Foundation
Laura Webster and Jill Muenich – for Porter, Tito and Stewart – National Guardian Life *

$500-$999 • Mark Your Territory

Alt’s Operation
Barbara Lee Drake
Shanon Gransee, in memory of Fred Gray (Buster)
Larry and Heather Graves, in honor of Peanut, Laci and Dutch
Chris W. Hammen, in honor of Bronson
Joel Kinsey
LSM Chiropractic
Jen Multerer – for Leinie & Quincy Multerer
Sara Pettit – American Family Insurance *
Saris Cycling Group
Tabby & Jack’s Pet Supplies and Grooming

$300-$499 • Landscape Beautification & Tree Sponsors

Avante Properties
Benvenuto’s Italian Grill
Colleen and Peter Chase
Fahey Fields
Interstate Blood and Plasma
Red Barn JT, LLC
The Dog Den
The Uptown Crossing Neighborhood

$100-$299 • Personalized Dog Tag

In loving memory of Barney and Gabby
Nancy Arnold and Mayor Steve Arnold
Thomas and Marilyn Arnold
Julia and Dante Aratta-Fratta
Dan Bahr
Carlson Family, in honor of Murphy and in memory of Benny
Coldwell Banker Success Realtors
Andrew & Rene Eastman – For All Puppies – Sampson Eastman
Daniel Glinert
Dogs Welcome
Mrs. Nancy Gurrie, in memory of Michael Gurrie
Troy K. Kitzrow and Peter Scott, in honor of Ozzy
Lakeview Veterinary Clinic
Briana Lenzlinger – Finn – Phoebe – Felix
Isabelle Martin
Scott and Katie Michel
Kelly Moravec
Matt Moriarty
Ami Newman Paul
Marshall Reed
Stefanie L. Schmirler and Ryan Hanko – For Princess Momo, Totes Binks
Harley & Marty Semple, in memory of Mac and Frank Semple
Susan Tipple
Jeff Wilczewski

Additional Contributions (< $100)

Jay Allen • Apple Wellness • Bad Dog Frida • Lori Blahnik • Buffalo Wild Wings • Pete Burns, Allstate Insurance • Bradley Davis • Four Lakes Veterinary Clinic • Mark Grotjohn • Janet Jenkins • Wanida Jongsuwanrak • Jung Garden Center • K & A Greenhouse • Juliet and Jason Lai • New Visions Theatre • Tracy and Michael Pajewski • David and Christine Pulchalsky • Roaring Fork Restaurant Group • Rolling Pin Bakery • Megan Schroeder • Don and Carolyn Shelp • Agnes Shutsa • James and Karen Soley • Keith and Kristin Steger • Ten Pin Alley • The Dog Den • Chad and Deborah Thums • Rhianna Weisse • Wisconsin Brewing Company

Special Thanks

Thank you to the many generous supporters, the City of Fitchburg Parks Department staff and the Fitchburg Dog Park Advocates (FDPA) for helping to make this park a reality. Special thanks to Jake Johnson for leading this community project, and to these FDPA members for dedicating hundreds of hours of volunteer time: Rachel Burnham-Holdener, Amy Steger, Diane Streck, Laura Portz, Sandy Otto, Marty Semple, Holly Hein, Patrick Cheney, Amy Good, and Gretchen Crook.

The park kiosk was made by Zakry Esch as his Eagle Scout project in 2017, with help from his mom Amy, Randy Baldwin, Daniel Enderich, Eric Eikenberry, Gerry Tift, Dennis Spoerl, and the Boy Scouts and parents of BSA Scout Troop 11.  Zak would also like to thank Brunsell Lumber and Mill Work, Home Depot, and The Wood Cycle for donated items.

* Indicates an employer match.

About Fitchburg Dog Park Advocates

The Fitchburg Dog Park Advocates (FDPA) is a grassroots advocacy group of resident volunteers that united with the City of Fitchburg in establishing Sunnyside Dog Park, the first off-leash dog park in Fitchburg, Wisconsin. The FDPA continues to partner with the city to allocate money towards park amenities and to coordinate ongoing maintenance.

If you are interested in helping with volunteer activities, please follow the Facebook page for notices of upcoming events. Examples include:

• Spring clean-up
• Mulch application to paths