Dog trainer opening private dog park in Riverwest neighborhood, hopes to prevent dog attacks

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A dog trainer purchased a small plot of land in the Riverwest neighborhood and plans to transform it into a private dog park.

Near the corner of Holton and Burleigh, the small plot of land does not look like much, but it's about to be transformed into a dog park. It was previously a house that burned down.

"I want to put in some agility toys. I really want to have a little fly ball practice area for dogs," Justine Garner said.

Garner is the owner of MKE Puppy Pal. She trains dogs for a living, helping to solve behavior problems. She purchased this plot of land after seeing dog owners wanted to have a safe place to play.

"I see posts all the time about wanting a private dog park," Garner said.

Garner said many owners worry about dog attacks at public dog parks. Sometimes their dogs may not be comfortable around others, too.

"They get to have that peace of mind by not having to worry about their dog misbehaving or having issues," Garner said.

Right now, Garner's plan is to have owners rent the space for 30 minutes at a time.

"For $10, after you pay a lifetime membership fee. With that membership fee it will vary depending on the neighborhood you live in," she said.

She hopes this park will help prevent dog attacks in the future.

"I've gotten such amazing support from the community, and I really feel this is an excellent solution and a much better option than a traditional dog park. Because most dogs are not that social, and public dog park only serves the most social dogs," Garner said.

Garner still has some cleaning up to do and permits to acquire but hopes to have this opened by this summer or fall.