Doggy delight as canine exercise area opens for personnel on Whale Island

There are 110 dogs registered with the island’s authorities and allowed to come into Excellent with their owners – military and civilian personnel who work at the base which is home to the Navy’s headquarters and the Phoenix Damage Control School among others.

But there wasn’t a suitable area to walk/exercise the pets during standeasy/lunch breaks and down time, safely let the animals off their leashes, to say nothing of doggy ablutions.

Thanks to the drive of CPO Gary Maskell and over £11k from the NAAFI fund, that’s all changed with the K9 Exercise Area, designed to provide all dogs on the island with access to a secure, off-lead space to run and play. It gives owners peace of mind, while the dogs can burn off energy.

This initiative not only promotes canine fitness but also offers peace of mind to dog owners, thus improving the overall lived experience on the island.

HMS Excellent’s Commanding Officer Commander Craig Woolhead performed the official honour, allowing those who’d brought their dogs to work to test the various obstacles installed and generally let their pets play.

“I'm very thankful to the Commanding Officer who allowed me to run with this project,” said Gary. “It has already proved to be very popular and the dogs love it.

“The opening ceremony highlighted the community spirit and the shared appreciation for the new exercise area.”

If you serve/work on the island and wish to bring your canine with you, fill in the form on MODNET and make sure your dog is insured.