The Amherst Dog park opened in July 2022, after 7 years of planning and design. In the 2017 Town Meeting the desire for a town-wide dog park was expressed, which lead to the creation of a dog park task force. The task force held over 30 public meetings, vetted potential sites and worked with the Community Preservation Act Committee, the Conservation Commission, the Design Review Board, the Disability Access Advisory Committee, LSSE Commission, the Planning Board, and the Town Council.

Ultimately the site where it sits today was selected and designs finalized in 2019. Located on a portion of the former Amherst Landfill on Belchertown Road, the design is fully accessible and includes a one-acre fences area for large dogs, a half-acre fenced area for small dogs, double gated entry, entry plaza with kiosk, dog watering stations, two shade structures, concrete walks through each dog area, benches, irrigation, and parking for 18 cars.

The old landfill cap is shallow and could not be disturbed so the park is built entirely on fill with special footings for the perimeter fence and shade structure support posts. The landfill is also a breeding site for endangered Grasshopper Sparrow. The project team worked with NHESP to time construction to protect the Sparrow's life cycle.