Raleigh mayor cuts the leash on the city's second dog park

RALEIGH -- Dogs have given humans another way to socialize, though the hounds are often too busy sniffing each other's posteriors to notice.

The dog parks of the Triangle now serve as places to catch up with old friends, meet new people and flirt. Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker says that he has even heard of a couple that got engaged and married in one.

On Saturday, Meeker helped cut the leash on his city's second dog park, just north of Oakwood Cemetery. Within minutes, dogs were roaming the Oakwood Dog Park's shady two acres as their owners chatted away.

"Dog people are good people," said Brian McFadden of Raleigh, who met a few new ones while his pup Alex rolled around in the mulch. "It's kind of the great equalizer. You feel more comfortable walking up to somebody with a dog and striking up a conversation."

Canine lovers find it easy to mingle in dog parks because they can unleash their pups in fenced-in sanctuaries.

Although Raleigh has had a dog park in Millbrook Park for more than three years, the official opening of a second park brought more than 100 people and a panting parade of labrador retrievers, pugs, spaniels, hounds, whippets and mutts.

The people spent the day talking about dogs. Scout Biggs, 6, of Raleigh was ready to discuss the plush stuffed pup she brought out to the event.

"He's a fraidy cat in front of other big dogs," she said.

Meanwhile, the dogs ran, slobbered and wagged, disinterested in all the talk.

A few barkers even drowned out a bit of Meeker's park dedication speech.

Chris Bowyer of Raleigh said she understood the impatience of the hounds. Her black, furry dog Spencer was waiting to run free as well.

"They've got things to do," Bowyer said. "Dogs to sniff, things to see."