The community surrounding Timberlake Park is pleased to see the return of its furry friends to the park this year.

A controversial dog ban was lifted last month after a new agreement with King County animal control promised better responses to unruly pets.

“It just seemed to make it more of a community to include the dogs,” said Margaret Dewit, who walks from home to the park everyday.

The park mostly consists of two long trails that wind through a cool canopy of 100-foot evergreen trees. The trails end at a sandy beach, a popular spot for retrievers.

“I like to watch the dogs enjoy the water,” said Dewit, who doesn’t have a pup of her own.

Dogs aren’t allowed on the beach May through September, when its warm enough for people to swim. They also must be leashed.

When the area first annexed to Issaquah, the city considered a ban at the park, but decided to wait and see if problems rose, said Anne McGill, Parks and Recreation Director.

There weren’t any problems until Summer 2009, when the city received reports of unleashed dogs jumping on people, eating picnic food and fighting with each other.

When the city called Regional Animal Services of King County, which the city paid about $40,000 a year for animal control, the officers were usually too busy to respond.

“This went on for several weeks, and it escalated, and tensions between pet owners and non-pet owners grew,” McGill said. “We said, you know, we’re going to take a break here.”

This year Animal Services came to admit that it wasn’t charging enough to cover its costs. It offered to hire more officers in exchange for more money from the cities, she said.

The city now expects to pay about $60,000 annually, still cheaper than starting its own program, McGill said.

With a guarantee from the county, the city decided to try allowing the dogs back.

“It’s going to be great, and Timberlake Park is a wonderful place to take a walk,” she said. “It’s beautiful in all seasons.”

At the park’s icy shore, Dewit watches a school of fish splash and points out a diving loon. As the silence settles in over the glossy Lake Sammamish, a bald eagle swoops from a towering tree, stirring excitement.

“It’s a little bit of nature,” she says.