‘Barks & Bites’ Celebrates Grand Reopening of the Dr. Steven G. Paul Dog Park

by Guest Contributor January 1, 2019

by Guest Contributor January 1, 2019 15 views

By: Jen Russon

Since the 1990s, the sprawling dog park, with its obstacle course and hydration stations for pooches, has been frequented by dog owners in Coral Springs and Parkland.

The park, conceived by and named after the late veterinarian Dr. Paul, is in the midst of a makeover and will reopen to the public at a Barks & Bites event scheduled for 12:00 p.m. Saturday January 12, and will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Director of parks and recreation, Rick Engle, said the event is meant to highlight the work that the city is doing in conjunction with the Coral Springs Charter School.

“The city has been working with the school on several projects to celebrate their 20th anniversary. One of the projects was to do renovations at the Steven G. Paul Dog Park,” said Engle. “They put down some new sod, painted some of the obstacles and did a general clean-up of the dog park.”

He added that the charter school’s academic and career excellence academy (ACE), headed by business teacher Donna Hoo, are responsible for spearheading the projects at the dog park.

Their work will be highlighted at the Barks & Bites event, where local vets, pet services, retailers and all things canine can be found. Those who plan to come are encouraged to bring their four-legged friends and enjoy activities organized by the charter school clubs, like face painting, balloon art, poetry writing, finger painting, games and food trucks.

Visitors to the dog park can expect a shinier look to what has entertained dogs for decades in the past; amusements like climbing ramps, hanging tires that surround a walking trail, running paths, agility equipment, a watering area and shower for dogs, “pooper scooper” bag dispensers, and more.

The Humane Society of Broward County will also be at Barks & Bites to promote pet adoption from noon to 4 p.m. and will be captured via live-stream on FM 96.5.

The Dr. Steven G. Paul Dog Park is located at 2915 Sportsplex Drive and has ample parking. Entrance to the dog park is free.