Amarillo is a big city, and as construction continues to push further into the rural areas, more wildlife is moving into the city. One of those wildlife creatures is the prairie dog, or as Amarillo affectionately calls them, ‘sod poodles,’ at least since the MiLB named our baseball team. These animals have been in the area for a very long time.
Prairie Dogs at John Stiff Park: A 20-Year Colony
In fact, a prairie dog colony has lived in John Stiff Park for at least 20 years. If you drive down 45th near the library, you can see hundreds of these little creatures just chilling on top of their mounds.
However, soon you may no longer see these animals at all in the area.
Why Amarillo Parks Board Is Considering Prairie Dog Removal
On Wednesday, March 11, 2026, one of the agenda items at the Amarillo Parks and Recreation Board meeting was the issue of the prairie dogs in John Stiff Park. They discussed the issue and heard from community members. The Parks and Recreation Board ultimately moved to look for ways to eradicate the animals.
Budget Limits and City Council Approval Explained
Staff were given a $50,000 budget for the eradication. If the budget for eradication goes above $50,000, it will require a City Council vote.
They have tried to relocate the prairie dogs in the past, but it didn’t work, so now they are going to work to eradicate them, and that means killing the colony that has created a home and ecosystem underneath John Stiff Park…