The ThunderBlogs

Washed-up logs dot the sandy shore as wagging tails bound, dig, dodge and chase their way around the beach.

An organized chaos reigns supreme in Hadden Park, an off-leash dog park in Kitsilano. It’s one of Kitsilano’s two dog parks, and one of 37 in Vancouver.

Tuesday afternoon saw a collection of breeds as varied as their owners gathered on the shore.

Derek Leach threw a ball for his golden lab, Sydney.

Leach’s business attire wasn’t what you’d expect to see at the dog park, let alone one on the beach, yet he looked entirely at home on the driftwood log, tossing a soggy, sand-covered ball for his pup.

“It’s good for the animals to socialize with other dogs and with other people,” he said. “They develop good social behaviour as a result.”

That’s one of the reasons he brings Sydney to the park every day.

Opportunities are limited though: like many other dog parks around the city, Hadden is only off-leash at certain times of day. From May 1 to September 30, off-leash time is restricted from 6 to 10 a.m. and from 5 to 10 p.m. From October 1 to April 30, leash-free time lasts from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

“It’d be nice if they had it open all day for the dogs,” said Logan McNeil as he watched his energetic vizsla, Noah, romp across the sand.

Up from the beach, on Fourth Avenue, a friendly-looking chocolate lab sits on one of the waiting room chairs at Kitsilano Animal Clinic. Her name is Violet, and she’s not waiting to see the doctor; her owner, Terry Eisen, is a veterinarian, and Violet spends her days hanging out at the clinic, waiting for Eisen to get off work.

Then the pair hit the dog park, where Eisen takes Violet to get a little sand under her paws and ocean water on her fur.

“It’s her recreation and it’s my recreation,” Eisen said. “One of the things that’s really special about dog parks is it’s not just about the dogs, it’s the dog owners.”

She described dog park users as a close community that works hard to take care of their space.

“The dog beaches and dog parks are way cleaner than any other parks,” she said, adding that people are very diligent about cleaning up after their pets. “We just don’t want to lose what we have.”