Actually we are from California but are now located at Fort Bragg, North Carolina due to military dislocation. However we are a pretty conservative family. You mentioned this being a "liberal" move when in fact out on the much more conservative Eastern States this is a "typical" thing to find dog parks all over the Eastern United States. We have lived all over the country now in the military and everywhere we have lived there have been dog parks. We actually have one on our military installation. It actually is one thing that brings people and their pets outside and it promotes a much "healthier envronment". Atleast these people taking their dogs to the dog park are seeing fit to actually attend an outdoor activity rather than waste more energy sitting inside parked in front of a TV, video game or computer screen. I rather enjoy taking my dog to the dog park and let him burn off his energy. It's also a social outlet for dog owners and people in the community to get together to make new friends, rather than a "night club social scene". People on the Western half of he country need that social outlet.