Katy's dog park is apparently suffering from too much puppy love.

Built in 2007 off Franz Road, the park is a playground where Katy canines can run off-leash. Near the center is a shallow pond that was built for temporary use and has now become what many describe as a cesspool.

" It's almost like a sewage treatment plant," said resident John Stanley, at the Nov. 12 Katy City Council meeting. "It's not being taken care of."

Jennifer Howard, who is a member of the parks department advisory board, led a group of people concerned about the condition of the park to address the council when rumors surfaced that the pond was to be filled in. She argued that a pond is too important to the park because it allows dogs to cool off in the summer heat. She also noted that the park is popular with pet owners inside and outside of Katy.

" The park does a lot to bring commerce into the city," she said.

She requested that the city replace the sand-lined pond with a concrete liner that is properly maintained. It did not take much to convince the council that the project should be a priority. .

" Our parks are top-notch, and the dog park should be, too," Councilwoman Carol Adams said.

Councilman Fabol Hughes added that if the city builds a new pond that it should be responsible for maintaining it.

Councilman Steve Pierson was on the council in 2007 when the park was dedicated with much fanfare.

" I'm all for the park because it's an asset to our community," he said.

Mayor Don Elder Jr. said the city should be responsible for maintaining its own parks.

" You can't go in there and clean it out with backhoes, you need to clean it out with humans," he said.

Councilman Larry Gore said he supports the park, but cautioned his colleagues about moving too quickly with it.

" There comes a point where you can't throw money at everything," he said.

He suggested the council gather information and make an informed decision as to how to proceed.

Adams said the city has $80,000 in its budget this year for improvements at the park and said it would only take about $50,000 to replace the pond.

The council voted unanimously to send the matter to the parks advisory board to study and return with a recommendation at a future meeting.