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New Dog Park Opens at Harrison Park

New Dog Park Opens at Harrison Park

New Dog Park Opens at Harrison Park

 On Saturday, September 28 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., local residents and donors celebrated the grand opening of Wichita’s new premier dog park at W.B. Harrison Park. The new park, which is divided into two sections – one for large breed dogs and one for small breed dogs — features state-of-the-art dog playground equipment, three shade structures, benches for dog owners and water fountains for both the dogs and their owners. The grand opening of the new dog park will also feature the unveiling of the newest “Keepers on Parade” statue, another ongoing Together Wichita project. The idea for a state-of-the-art dog park was submitted to Together Wichita by a local resident who saw a need for an under served part of the city. This idea was then backed by the Chung report which mentioned how important pet-friendly parks are to attracting and retaining young professionals to our city. “The Knight Foundation found that young talent is perceived to be one of the least welcomed groups in Wichita,” said Susan Armstrong of Armstrong Chamberlin and founding member of Together Wichita. “The Chung Report suggests that, to attract them, we need to make our city more livable. We need more public spaces where people can gather and engage. Dog parks fit into this category—so we felt we should find a way to build a world class dog park in our city.” Once the concept was voted on, the idea was taken to the City of Wichita Park and Recreation Department and they determined Harrison Park was the best fit for the project. “In our evaluation of community needs we know that more dog parks are needed in Wichita and the east side of the city was our next target, “ said Troy Houtman, Wichita Director of Parks and Recreation. “We are very excited to partner with Together Wichita to fill our voids. To have a thriving community we need to partner and leverage resources in Wichita to provide a higher quality of life.”  Ten organizations committed to providing lasting gifts to our community under the banner of Together Wichita joined with the City of Wichita Park and Recreation Department and the Association of General Contractors of Kansas to make this park a reality.

The Dog Keeper, the newest “Keepers on Parade” statue, joins more than 30 other statues that are popping up across the city. This statue was designed by Carmen Resco, a designer for Armstrong Chamberlin, and painted by a group of artists as an interactive project during the Society of Decorative Painters national convention that was held in Wichita earlier this summer. The Dog Keeper joins more than 30 other “Keepers on Parade” statues that are popping up across the city.

To learn more about Together Wichita projects, visit TogetherWichita.com and follow the organization on Facebook and Instagram.

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