BILLINGS — A theft at a local dog park has people upset and confused.
A few nights ago someone stole an entire wood windbreak.
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“It’s sad. It’s a public park. People love to go there. It's a nice shady spot where we can sit and our dogs can play. For someone to just disrespected it and steal it. It’s just kind of a dirty move.” That's what Mike McArty said when he heard about the windbreak heist at the High Sierra Dog Park.
The park is located on Skyway Drive in the Heights. The park actually has two of these fences at the two gazebos there. While both gazebos are still there the wood slates from one of the gazebos are gone. Rich DeVore with Friends of Billings Dog Parks says the thieves even took all the hardware and two by fours. “I was basically shocked that somebody would take the time and energy in the middle of the night and take the whole thing down.” DeVore says the theft happened sometime Wednesday night or early Thursday morning.
“I’m mad about it, but also why? Just really why?” Don Cape, who brings his dogs to the High Sierra Park every day says the fence provided a great spot for dogs and dog owners. “It did create a windbreak a little bit of shade for people so they could separate their dogs and watch their dogs.”
Now that it's gone, Cape is concerned the other windbreak could be next, saying if they stole that one, they could come back and steal the other one.
DeVore said the windbreak cost $1,200 to put up and was paid for by donations. “You got to be a sorry person to want to do that and it’s just disgusting to me.” Right now, DeVore is not sure what they will do about the missing wood. But he and everyone who uses the park – including Cape - hopes they find whoever is responsible. “It’s an awful lot of work for a couple of hundred dollar's worth of wood.”
If you want to help out, DeVore said the best way is to contact the Partners for Parks Billings website or their Facebook page.
