August 26, 2022 |
Everyone and their dog are invited to the new dog park in Rawlins. The long-anticipated recreation spot for people and their best friends will open Saturday. Parks and Recreation Director Jason Sehon said the required fencing to complete the park at Colorado and Daley Streets at Key Club Park was finished this week.
The dog park is a work in progress. It will open to people and pups on Saturday morning with two fenced-off sections: A 1.5 acre “Any Dog Area” and a half acre area for smaller and older, less active dogs. Sehon said having two distinct areas came from suggestions made by residents.
Pictured above: City Council and Staff gather for a groundbreaking ceremony. Photo courtesy City of Rawlins.
Other town hall suggestions included dog agility equipment. Sehon said those kinds of features and amenities for people are in the works.
The city has applied for a grant through Carbon County School District One to purchase a shade structure for the larger “any dog” area where people could hang out while their pets play.
Access to the two separated dog areas is through a staging area, which functions like a sally port or security vestibule. Sehon described the purpose of the staging area.
The hydration station will be installed in the next few weeks. The park is free to all. A donation box may be added later.
The foundational funding for the park came from $20,000 the city received through the Wyoming Community Gas Grant program. Both the 2020 and 2021 grants, each valued at $9,800, were earmarked for the dog park. City council then appropriated and additional $25,000 for the park. Sehon said about $10,000 in funding remains.
When it opens Saturday morning, the park will feature two picnic tables and six park benches, multiple doggy waste stations and trash cans and two portable toilets.
Park visitors are encouraged to take a survey and share what other amenities they would like to see. The survey is available online at the city’s website.
