City of Chattanooga officials with the Parks Division of the Department of Public Works and the Open Spaces Division of the Department of Economic and Community Development accepted a check on Saturday, for $25,000 from the Boyd Foundation Dog Park Dash Grant Program.
The grant will be used to make improvements to the Heritage Park Dog Park.
The mission of the Boyd Foundation Dog Park Dash Program is to put a smile on people’s faces by creating dog parks across the state, where animals can play in safe spaces and people can grow their relationships with others. The program’s vision is to become the most pet-friendly state in the U.S. by not only providing dog park grants in 2018 but also in years to come. “Jenny and I are proud to play a role in enhancing the beloved dog park in Jack Benson Heritage Park,” said Randy Boyd of the Boyd Foundation. “The City of Chattanooga has a unique vision for their space, and we know that their pets and people will enjoy the new additions for years to come.”
Heritage Park is a well-used park; it is a large park of over 22 acres and serves over 18,000 residents who live within three miles. The off-leash dog park was constructed in 2010 through a joint partnership with the Friends of East Brainerd, the City’s Parks and Recreation Department, McKamey Animal Center and the Goodwill Assistance Dog Academy. The dog park features separate areas for large and small dogs, water and bath stations, double-gated entry, and agility equipment. Originally a membership fee-based amenity, the City of Chattanooga opened the dog park to the general public in late 2016. Officials said, "Because of the amount of daily activity and age of the dog park, the City of Chattanooga is grateful to be awarded this grant because we not only value quality public spaces for our two-legged friends but also our four-legged friends."