Out and About at Orion Oaks Dog Park

LAKE ORION, Mich. (WJBK) - For this Out and About segment, FOX 2's Derek Kevra brought along a special friend to a park that has gone to the dogs. It's all right, though, because it is a dog park afterall.

Derek and his pal, Roux, headed out to the Orion Oaks Dog Park in Lake Orion. The park is huge, with 24 acres for the dogs to burn all their energy.

"We have trails built into the dog park, so you can walk your dog on the trails off leash," says park supervisor, Dj Coffey. "We also have 10 miles of trails here at Orion Oaks that go back through the back 900 acres that we have, that you can walk your dog on leash and take in the beautiful area of Oakland County. The best part about here is the sheer size. So many people come and they're regulars. They come a couple times a day and they have their friends. It's as much socializing for the dogs as it is for the dog owners."

"The people are awesome; everybody's got a great story," one dog owner told Derek.

Safety is the park's #1 priority, which is why all dogs are required to have their license and be up-to -date on shots. Additionally, guys like Marty Brown will volunteer to act as, what he calls, a "hall monitor" for the park.

The thing that makes the park really unique is their doggy dock.

"We have a swimming area just for dogs. We have the dog dock, that the dogs can go out there; they can jump off go after their tennis balls and things like that," says Coffey. "It's for dogs only."

Derek's dog Roux isn't much of a swimmer, but there are plenty of dogs that are - and on a hot summer day, the dock is quite popular!

To gain access to the Orion Oaks Dog Park, you will need an Oakland County Parks pass, which is $30 for residents. 

Dogs need to be up-to-date on shots and, if your dog is not friendly in social settings, they ask you to refrain from using the dog park until he or she has been better acclimated to other animals.