Dallas’ first dog park reopens May 30

(DALLAS) – Dallas Park and Recreation Department is busy grooming a popular east Dallas park for a reopening ceremony tailored to four-legged residents.

A ribbon-cutting to showcase the newly renovated site is 10 a.m. Saturday, May 30 at White Rock Lake Dog Park, 8000 Mockingbird Lane. The event is open to all dogs and puppies and their owners.

After the ceremony, dog lovers and their pets can experience the park’s new conveniences. Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau will launch its brand new Doggie B&G campaign to give each pet a few seconds of fame with a photographer. Owners and their dogs can pose between the miniature B&G set for stylized photo opportunities. Dallas Animal Services will be on site with details about pet and adoption services.

“Sharing activities with our pets is an important and unique recreational opportunity. Off-leash areas are increasingly popular. These special parks provide residents a fun place to be and they present Dallas as a dog-friendly tourist destination,” said Dallas Park and Recreation Director Willis C. Winters, FAIA.

Designed to give pups ample space to run, jump and play, the park now features gated entries to separate grassy areas for large and small dogs and a dog run with lake access and an overlook. Other comforts are pet stations that include dog washes, drinking fountains and waste stations. In addition to ornamental fencing, landscaping enhancements feature specialized turf, 45 new trees and an irrigation system. A pavilion suitable for special events and an information kiosk add to the park’s appeal for pet owners.

White Rock Lake Dog Park is the first of Dallas’ four off-leash parks. In 2001, Muenster Milling Company, maker of Muenster Natural Dog Food, laid the foundation for Dallas to build its first off-leash park when it donated $25,000 to the city. At the grand opening, baseball hall of famer Nolan Ryan pitched the benefits of the new park for pets and their humans.