Kenai Bark Park welcomes 1st pawed patrons

Paws hit fresh grass at the new Kenai Bark Park on Friday after a grand opening for the new space located at the Daubenspeck Family Park near Walmart.

The grand opening came roughly five years after the project was first approved by the Kenai City Council. It covers around 1.5 acres and the City of Kenai provided around $88,000 in funding. Park organizers raised at least a further $43,000. The bulk of construction occurred this year, after in 2022 the space’s footprint was expanded and the project was taken on by the city as a capital project.

“It’s been a long time to get here,” Kenai Mayor Brian Gabriel said before cutting the ribbon and opening the space.

Gabriel credited completion of the project to the involvement of several community partners and organizations, who are recognized in a mural at the park’s entrance.

“You can honestly say that this was a community effort,” he said. “You hear about ‘it takes a village.’ This is a project that actually did take a village.”

The park features a fenced-in space for putting on and taking off leashes, and two separate zones for “Large Paws” and “Small Paws.” There’s agility equipment, benches and a walking path, as well as a large field.

Moments after the park was opened, three dogs were its first guests. Bella, a larger dog with a tongue hanging several inches out of her mouth, bounded excitedly up and down the grass, climbing the agility equipment with ease. Xulu, a smaller dog with long hair, was content to watch the excitement. A dachshund named Lilly very much wanted her dad to pick her up when the friendly Bella came looking for introductions.

For more information about the Kenai Bark Park, visit https://www.facebook.com/KenaiDogPark.

Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.