Construction starts on new dog park

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – After much planning, and even some opposition, Zanesville will finally have its first dog park.

Thursday morning Strauss Fence Company placed almost 200 hundred poles in Riverside Park that will serve as the posts for the fence for the dog park. Strauss Company owner Steve Strauss said the park is something any city would be proud of.

“We knew it would be a large facility, but it turned out to be a really large facility. Zanesville is blessed to have this,” said Strauss. “It’s the kind of thing that will serve our community for years.”

The chain-link fence will be five-foot high, which Strauss said is high enough to keep in most any breed of dog. They hope to have the fence up within the week.

The park will be divided into two separate zones to separate large and small dogs. Dog park committee volunteer Mike Alfman said in the coming weeks they hope to add benches, shade trees, and set rules for visitors to follow.

“Just like a park for the children, a park for the dogs is intended for them to have fun and for the owners of the pets to come down and have fun and relax and enjoy it too,” said Alfman.

The City of Zanesville budgeted $20,000 for the park and Alfman said they are in talks with Nestle Purina for possible sponsorship opportunities. Alfman said it will also give the city something more than just a place for dogs to run.

“Tourism could be helped by this too,” said Alfman. “When people come to Zanesville and they are looking for a place to stay, or they are going through Zanesville, I know people are looking for a place where they can stay at a hotel and take their dog for a quick run.”

Alfman said they do not have a specific open date yet for the park but it should be within the month.