Pups Reece and Riley enjoy a day at the Ashland City Dog Park with their "mom," Julie Soisson (Submitted)
-Micca Terrell
The Ashland City Dog Park is now open to four-legged friends (and their humans) after a ribbon cutting ceremony on Dec. 14.
The park is located in the City Park John C. “Preacher” Poole Recreation Area off Tennessee Waltz Parkway. It’s part of the Riverbluff Park complex along with the recently added disc golf course.
Phase one of the project is complete, which includes one fenced area with a small fence separating them for a large dog and small dog section.
The park, which has been warmly welcomed by area dog owners, is the product of teamwork and interaction among City councilmembers, City Parks officials, Cheatham County Chamber of Commerce, as well as local business owners and private individuals, according to Amanda Melton of Cheatham County Dog Park Pack.
Local officials and invested parties gather at the entrance to the new dog park (Photo Submitted)
The work was paid for with a $25,000 grant that was announced back in the summer. On June 18, Tennessee Dog Park Dash announced the winners of several grants, and Cheatham County was among the recipients. Members of the local nonprofit, Cheatham County Animal Awareness Foundation (Cheatham County Paws), as well as the local grassroots group Cheatham County Dog Park Pack sent letters and posted on social media in a big push through the month of May to show support for a new dog park.
Julie Soisson, a visitor of the park, says, "I am thankful for the people who worked so hard to make the park happen. My dogs love the open space to run, and we look forward to meeting new friends-- dog and human--there!"
The Tennessee Dog Park Dash, established in 2018, is funded by the Boyd Foundation. The program is dedicated to building and enhancing dog parks across the state. The goal of Tennessee Dog Park Dash is to make the state the most pet-friendly one in the nation and has already benefitted more than 100 communities, according to Randy Boyd of the Boyd Foundation.
Phases two and three still need to be fully funded, and fundraisers for them will be held in the spring, Melton said. Now there are two dog parks in Cheatham County, one in Ashland City and one in Kingston Springs.
To support Cheatham County Paws and to donate to the dog park effort, visit their website at https://cheathamcountypaws.org/ways-to-help.
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