Dogs get their day

COEUR d'ALENE - Dogs, Monday is your day.

And funny thing is, it could only be the start of many more.

Monday will mark the end of a two-year team effort that's bringing the city of Coeur d'Alene its first dog park completely devoted to the off-leashed, four-legged fur balls, but there's a chance a few more such parks could be in the works.

"When we got started we had no idea we could accomplish anything," said Robert Knechtel, member of the Kootenai County Dog Park Association, the volunteer team that helped with the fundraising that is making Monday's opening ceremony happen. "It was just sticking with it, meeting regularly and getting the word out on what we wanted to accomplish. And slowly things started to happen."

Two years of the association's hard work culminates at the leash cutting ceremony and barbecue on Monday. But the group came in around $5,000 to $7,000 under its original $28,000 budget, so the association might not be done yet.

Where's the remaining cash going?

"Well," Knechtel said. "We're looking at providing other dog park facilities across town."

First things first: Labor Day is the grand opening for the city's first park, now named 'Central Bark.' And to celebrate, pooches, pooch owners and anyone else who wants to see the completed 2-acre spot next to Northshire Park, are invited to come out from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a noon leash cutting ceremony and barbecue.

What's for lunch? Hot dogs, of course

"Then the dogs can romp," Knechtel said.

And there's a lot of them around town. According to a recent city parks master plan study, 50 percent of residents own at least one dog, with many in that bracket owning two or more. But the city's 29th park is the only one where dogs are allowed, besides Tubbs Hill and on the Centennial Trail that runs through many of the city's public spaces.

So dogs and dog lovers, Monday is for you.

Added to the donations was around $30,000 of in-kind donations, and the lending of the land.

The spot, used as a roughly three-year temporary spot until the city builds a permanent site, was donated by Coeur d'Alene School District 271 for the project.

Included in the designs are walking areas, dog waste receptacles, K-9 water fountains and a fenced off area specifically for smaller dogs.

"This is really a great example of the private and public sectors can work together to generate a distinct benefit for the community. It took dedication on both ends," Knechtel said. "It's come together nicely."

The park is adjacent to Northshire Park on the corner of Atlas Road and Nez Perce Drive.