Phideaux Field (at Forest Hill Presbyterian Church)

Is there anything better than a good, neighborhood dog park? It's impossible to put a price tag on the kind of place that is easy to walk to, where you know most of the people and their dogs, where you can just hang out and let your best friend run their little heart out. And if that dog park has a good parking lot, benches, plenty of water, AND a cute name to boot? Wow, what a treasure! 

Well, you can find just such a dog park in Richmond, Virginia. Forest Hill Presbyterian Church noticed that they had a very big lawn and a lot of neighbors with dogs. So, they decided to fence in the lawn, put in benches and a couple of spigots to the church's water, and call the place PHIDEAUX Field. How precious is that, seriously? The lawn is nearly one acre in size and is covered in lush grass. 

The fence is rather low, at four feet, but is high enough for all but the most determined dogs provided an animal parent is keeping an eye on their pet, as they should be at any dog park. The church put several benches around the area, so you have a place to sit while your puppy burns off all of their excess energy. And, because the park is at a church, there is more than ample room to park in the parking lot. 

Phideaux Field is not perfect, of course. There isn't an enclosure for small dogs and there are no shelters in bad weather for people. There are no poop bags, and no fountain, so if you go to this park, you have to plan ahead to take care of your dog's needs. 

Also, Phideaux Field has some pretty obvious closed times. Sunday morning the park does not open up until afternoon and it is closed on religious holidays, of course. Beyond that, though, you have a beautiful, soft grass park for your dog to enjoy. What more could a pet parent ask?