Local scoop
Where the Clinton River meets Lake St. Clair
Harrison Township is where the Clinton River meets Lake St. Clair. The township has about 12.6 miles of lake shoreline, and canals run through many of its lakeside subdivisions. Your dog gets the yard. We get the part nobody wants to deal with.
The whole township sits in ZIP 48045, whether your mail says Harrison Township or Harrison Twp. Pick a weekly, every-other-week or twice-a-week plan, or book a one-time cleanup before the boat goes in.
Where Harrison Township dogs roam
Lake St. Clair Metropark is the big walk around here. Dogs on a leash of 6 feet or less can use its paved and rustic trails, including a 3.75-mile paved trail. Skip the nature trails, the beach, the playgrounds and the buildings, because dogs aren't allowed there.
The Freedom Trail, a paved path of nearly 10 miles, runs along Metro Parkway and ends at the Metropark; the county asks that pets stay leashed on its trails. Wherever you walk, township code covers the basics: off your property, your dog needs a leash, and any poop has to be picked up right away. Pack bags for the walk and leave the yard to us.
Lake St. Clair Metropark
Leashed dogs welcome
31300 Metro Parkway. Leashed dogs on the paved and rustic trails, including a 3.75-mile paved trail; not on the nature trails, beach, playgrounds or in buildings. Metroparks pass required.
Freedom Trail
Leashed dogs welcome
Nearly 10 paved miles along Metro Parkway, from Schoenherr Road in Sterling Heights to the Metropark. Pets on a leash.
Canal lots and lakeside yards
Many Harrison Township homes sit in lakeside subdivisions laced with man-made boat canals, and Selfridge Air National Guard Base takes up much of the township's north end.
If your yard backs up to a canal, whatever is left in the grass can wash toward the water in a hard rain. One dog on a smaller lot may be fine with a visit every other week. Two or more dogs usually do better with weekly service, and twice a week suits a busy pack. Yards up to an acre with up to four dogs price online; bigger lots or packs get a custom quote.
The last stretch of the Clinton River
The Clinton River finishes its run in Harrison Township, winding about 5.7 miles through town before it reaches Lake St. Clair. The spillway cuts across the southeast corner, too.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, Lake St. Clair Metropark Beach, near the river's mouth, has a history of closures for high E. coli. Macomb County's health department counts improper animal waste disposal among the things that hurt water quality, and it asks residents to clean up pet waste routinely. Scooping on a schedule helps keep it out of the canals and the lake.
The local rule: Off your property, your dog must be leashed, and you must pick up its poop right away, on public or private land. (Harrison Township Code Sec. 14-72, Sec. 14-51)
