City invites dog owners to new ‘Park ’n’ Bark’

By Lethbridge Herald on October 13, 2022.

Herald photo by Alejandra Pulido-Guzman Mayor Blaine Hyggen along with contest winner Angela Maio, her children and city officials, cuts a leash instead of a ribbon to officially open the Park ‘n’ Bark off-leash dog park Thursday at the corner of Scenic Drive and Stafford Drive North.

The city’s newest off-leash dog park has officially opened. 

At the corner of Scenic Drive North and Stafford Drive North, dog owners can enjoy the Park ’n’ Bark and let their four-legged friends run free. 

With a fenced area, dog owners can have a care-free experience knowing their pets will not be running off, as there is heavy traffic in the area. 

The park was officially opened with a leash-cutting ceremony Thursday morning, in the presence of city officials, animal services, a contest winner and community members with some of their four-legged friends. 

Mayor Blaine Hyggen, who had his dogs Bruno and Gigi with him, said having more off-leash dog parks is something they hear a lot as councillors, and especially during the recent election campaign. 

It is safe to say the demand for off-leash parks has increased the supply. 

“This is the fifth off-leash dog park that we have in Lethbridge and we actually rank second nationally next to Calgary in terms of dog park lands per capita, so that is actually incredible,” said Hyggen. 

The name of the dog park was selected by the community. Submissions were collected from residents and narrowed down to a top three list. These three names were then voted on by the public and “Park ’n’ Bark” was selected. The name Park ’n’ Bark was submitted by Angela Maio.

General manager of parks and cemeteries, Blair Richter, said the name was selected because it is fun, people recognize right away that it probably represents a dog park, and it is something that rolls off the tongue. 

At 22,275 square meters, Park ‘n’ Bark is fully fenced, features a trail system, benches and a dedicated space for small breeds. 

“We’ve got over 500 meters of asphalt pathways and over 100 meters of limestone pathways as well,” said Richter. 

He said that even though he was not part of the location selection process, he believes they selected the corner of Stafford Drive North and Scenic Drive North, based on distance away from houses, easy access and adding another dog park space on the North side of the city. 

Richter said the park is not quite complete yet, but they wanted to open it to the public. 

“We have some agility toys, as well as shade structures on order and we’re hoping to install all of those later this fall,” said Richter. 

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