New Dog Park To Open in June

The new public meeting place for man's best friend will be complete and open to the public by early June.

A dog park in Veterans Park on Crystal Street will open as soon as the grass within the park grows in. There will be two parks, one for larger and smaller dogs, complete with a fountain of water for the dogs to drink from. It will be the only dog park in Harrison and is tentatively scheduled to open on June 11.

a senior at Harrison High School, has worked with town leaders for almost a year to complete the project. He helped design the park as one of the final steps to completing a climb to the highest level of the Boy Scouts.

"People will grow as friends," Suhre said after the park was approved late last year. "And the dogs will have a lot of fun."

The park, which cost about $25,000 to build, was funded almost entirely by private donations. It will be maintained with a $20 per-dog annual membership fee required for all residents who use the park. The town is not yet accepting money for permits but will before the park opens. 

"We promised that this park would not be a burden on the taxpayers," said Harrison Town Clerk Joseph Acocella. "One year later we are keeping that promise."

In order to receive a permit to enter the park all dogs must be up to date with all shots and healthy. Permits can be obtained by visiting the Town Clerk's office at Town Hall. The park will be open from dawn until dusk and all owners must have a regular dog license.

The park will be open to all 579 Harrison dogs that are licensed with the town.

The Town Clerk's office has received a high volume of calls about the park already, and Acocella said that he fully expects the park to be a hit with residents. 

It is expected to be a great opportunity to bring the community closer. Harrison Mayor/Supervisor Joan Walsh said she is excited about the opening and thinks the park is certainly filling a need.

"During the last campaign I went door-to-door and there were many people who asked for a dog park," she said. "They have them in other places and why not Harrison?"

Although fencing for the park has been set up and construction is essentially complete, Acocella urged residents to stay out of the park until the grass has completely grown in.

"This is going to be a great addition to the community," he said. "Just give us a couple more weeks and we will be there."