Dog park prepares for next week's opening 12/3/2009 8:09 PM
By APRIL BAILEY Staff writer
A dedication ceremony for Aiken's first dog park will be held next Saturday at 10 a.m.
The dog park is a joint project of the City of Aiken and Aiken Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. It is located at 199 Willow Run Road, behind the Willow Run Industrial Park.
The City has put about $30,000 into the park, which has been set aside to pay for the cost of the fencing. Aiken SPCA has also invested about $30,000 into the project. Money is also being donated to the park by a local family in celebration on their parents' 50th wedding anniversary.
Both big and small dogs are welcome at the pet playground. The facility will have a specific area for large dogs and a place for smaller dogs. It will also include a common area where any dog can roam free.
Officials with the park said it will also include a square, 30-foot by 30-foot splash pool. The pool will be 10 inches deep and will resemble a ground-level swimming pool. The splash pool will cost about $16,000. Pet owners will be required to register their dogs with the SPCA or the City of Aiken Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism before they are able to bring them to the facility.
The dog park will be located next to the future home of the Aiken SPCA facility. Aiken SPCA officials are planning for construction of the shelter to begin a the end of the year.
The 20,000-square-foot facility will have the capacity to house 140 dogs and cats and will average 700 adoptions per year. It will include space for the City's Animal Control, a regional spay and neuter clinic that would serve the City, County and other neighboring communities and an education and training facility for residents and their pets.
Contact April Bailey at abailey@aikenstandard.com.
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Comment Title: dog park and new SPCA
Well done Aiken and SPCA. Now what SPCA and the City parking enforcement folks do is team up and offer a fine alternative... If you agree to walk a Dog up for adoption every Saturday for 3 Saturdays at the new dog park, you get a rebate on your fine/penalty. That should get some of those pooches adopted!
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Posted by: M. Lowery On: Friday, December 04, 2009 8:41 AM
Comment Title:
Yay! Thank you, Aiken and SPCA. Can't wait to take our dog to try it out!
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