By Cindy Schroeder
The Cincinnati Enquirer

INDEPENDENCE - Supporters of a Kenton County Paw Park will have to beg a little longer for their pet project.

Citing liability concerns, members of Kenton County Fiscal Court on Tuesday delayed action on a proposed lease agreement for two weeks. Dog enthusiasts had proposed leasing 2 little-used acres in Kenton County's Pioneer Park for Greater Cincinnati's fifth "paw park,'' or a fenced-in area where dogs could run off-leash and socialize with other pets.

"Any claim comes directly out of the county's coffers because we're self-insured,'' Brandon Voelker, assistant county attorney, told paw park enthusiasts. He suggested the group look into a private policy that would provide $250,000 coverage per incident and $1 million umbrella coverage.

County officials said they asked Friends of Kenton Paw Park to see if they could get private insurance coverage to avoid spending taxpayer money on potential large claims related to bites or other aggressive behavior by dogs.

But frustrated dog park supporters say no such policies exist other than homeowners or veterinarian insurance policies. They said other communities they've researched have covered paw parks through county or state policies.

"It's no different than children going to the park and playing on the swings,'' said Villa Hills resident Tom Biedenharn, who has spent the past year rallying support for a Kenton County paw park.

One supporter offered to provide statistics from other dog parks to show that county officials' concerns are unwarranted.

"Once you pay out of this fund, statistics don't mean anything,'' Kenton County Commissioner Barb Black responded.

"Unfortunately, it only takes one event to drain the funds out of whoever's pockets are responsible" for insurance coverage, said Kenton County Commissioner Adam Koenig. He later added, "We're just making sure taxpayers are taken care of.''

Dozens of donors have contributed $31,000 in cash and another $20,773 in pledges and in-kind contributions for a project that relies solely on private donations, Biedenharn said.

Said paw park supporter Lorita Wadsworth: "How is it that Boone County has a skate park and a water park and we've got all this money and can't get this done?''

More information: Call Tom Biedenharn at (859) 341-4455 or contact the dog park committee at www.kentonpawpark.com. The Web site explains how to donate and lists rules for the proposed park.

E-mail cschroeder@enquirer.com