Dogster Online Magazine Deems Iowa City's Thornberry Dog Park One of Ten Best in America

Iowa City Media Release

If a dog could, he or she'd give a high-five or a paws-up or at least a big lick and a high jump for the Thornberry Off-Leash Dog Park -- or so says Dogster, an award-winning online magazine that recently named Iowa City's first dog park to its list of "10 Amazing Dog Parks You Need to See in Your Lifetime." The list, compiled by writer, media contributor, and presenter Carol Bryant, was based on 20 years of traveling with her dogs and discovering those special places across the country that go above and beyond in their efforts to involve and engage canines.

Her review of the Thornberry Off-Leash Dog Park, located off of Foster Road in the Peninsula neighborhood on the north side of town, awarded kudos for the park's size -- 12 acres -- as well as its pond for "water warriors," fenced-in area for smaller dogs, Lucky Pawz Playground, running water, and special events such as Halloween parties and dog swims. The park's eco-friendly waste management system, which features the use of special disposable waste bags (provided free of charge at the park) that biodegrade in underground tanks when they come into contact with water, also received high praise.

"Is it any wonder Thornberry made our top 10?" Bryant concluded.

Other parks that made the list included Pilgrim Bark Park in Provincetown, Massachusetts; Millie Bush Dog Park in Houston, Texas; Freedom Bark Park in Lowell, Indiana; Dog Wood Park in Jacksonville, Florida; Beneful Dream Dog Park in Alabaster, Alabama; Bea Arthur Dog Park in Norfolk, Virginia; Point Isabel Regional Shoreline and Dog Park in Richmond, California; Jackass Acres K-9 Korral in New River, Arizona; and Fort Woof in Fort Worth, Texas.

Thornberry Park is one of two dog parks in Iowa City. The second is Rita's Ranch, located in Scott Park off of Scott Boulevard. To use one or both dog parks, pet owners must submit an application, pay a $35 annual fee ($40 for non-residents) which is discounted if the pet is spayed or neutered, provide proof that the dog has received a current rabies vaccination, and, if the dog belongs to an Iowa City resident, has a current City dog license. Dog park applications are available online at www.icgov.org/pr in the parks listings for Thornberry and Rita's Ranch, as well as at the Animal Care and Adoption Center, located at 4852 Sand Road SE, south of Iowa City.

To view the full article, visit www.dogster.com/lifestyle/10-amazing-dog-parks. For more information on the City's dog parks, call the Parks office at 319.356.5110.