December, 2001 was more or less a freedom holiday for dog owners of Burlington, Vermont. Prior to the establishment of the Starr Farm Dog Park, city pet owners were in danger of getting fined or penalized if they ever allowed their dogs to run free outside their homes.

The establishment of the dog park took years to achieve. In the latter years of the 1990?s, city dog owners banded together and presented a petition to the City Council for the establishment of off-leash dog parks. Thankfully, the City Council responded favourably to the request and approved a funding plan for five proposed dog parks. Funds were generated from the increase of license fee costs by $5, which resulted to a capital of $10,000. The city?s Parks & Recreation Dept. then wasted no time making a move, creating special gates and fencing and from there, the Starr Farm Dog Park was born.