Every Dog Has Its Day At New Park

By Nicole Wiseman, NewsOn6.com

TULSA, OK -- Dog lovers finally have a place to let their four-legged friends run free. Tulsa's first off-leash dog park opened Saturday morning.

The Joe Station Bark Park is already a huge hit.

Green Country may have just gotten a slight break in the heat, but it's the dog days of summer, literally. You can forget the leashes at Tulsa's first dog park. The Joe Station Bark Park is officially open and everyone is having a ball.

"I'm having fun. Those people are having fun. It is fun to go and watch dogs and play with dogs and meet other people," said Tulsa Dog Park Task Force Chairman, Herb Beattie.

Beattie and other members of the Task Force are thrilled to see all the smiling faces. The dogs are splashing in the pool, playing fetch with a friend, or going for a run. With a large field, some of the dogs are getting more exercise than they ever could at home.

"I've got a small yard. Here she has got a lot more room to run, a lot more dogs to socialize with," said dog owner, Vinnie Luna.

There's no doubt dogs are curious, but be assured they're not going anywhere. The dog park is secured with a double fence entry, so no dogs can escape. Plus, the dogs are safe. Different areas separate the big dogs from the small.

"The funny thing is, she likes the bigger dog side more than she likes the smaller dog side. She likes to run with the big dogs," said Luna.

"A dog that is cooped up and has no real place to run around, is an unhappy dog," said Beattie.

With the new dog park, there's no need to worry about that anymore. In fact, the city is considering creating more dog parks in town. The Tulsa Dog Park Task Force will meet to talk about possible locations.

The meetings are your chance to give your opinions about possible new off-leash dog park facilities located at 13th and Cincinnati and Hicks Park.

The meeting on Tuesday, August 12 will be held at 7 p.m. at All Souls Unitarian Church, 2952 South Peoria. This meeting will open discussion for the proposed development of a dog park

site in the downtown area. Specifically, in the Inner Dispersal Loop just east of the Boston Avenue Methodist Church.

Another meeting will be held Thursday, August 14 at 7 p.m. at Hicks Community Center, 3443 South Mingo Road. This meeting will open discussion for the proposed development of a dog park site at Hicks Park.

Additional public meetings will be scheduled to allow input on other potential dog park locations.

The Joe Station Bark Park is open at 5 a.m. and closes at 11 p.m. The park is open 365 days a year, but is closed until Noon on Wednesdays for maintenance. The park is located at 2279 Charles Page Boulevard.

Click on the Featured Video to see dogs playing at the Joe Station Bark Park!