New green space for dogs, owners launches in DeBary's Bill Keller Park

Attention, canine lovers: Bill Keller Park in DeBary has just rolled out the red carpet to dogs and their owners.

The city's first dog park officially opened Tuesday with a ribbon-cutting welcoming residents and their four-legged friends.

The dog park was part of a Volusia County ECHO grant that also included funds for new sports court lights for Bill Keller Park, located at 338 ½ Colomba Rd.

ECHO, a countywide program aimed at enhancing quality of life for residents, funded 50% of the $30,000 budget for the project as a whole, with the city contributing the other half out of its 2023 budget. Following ECHO approval in April of last year, DeBary leaders began the first phase of the project with the lighting, and then moved on to constructing the dog park this February.

Located next to the ball fields where the old shuffleboard courts once were, the dog park will include separate areas for large and small dogs and is adjacent to Lake Charles. The park is open sunrise to sunset, seven days a week.

Amenities in the park include waste bag dispensers, water fountains and picnic tables.

DeBary Parks and Recreation Director Jason Schaitz stated in a press release: “A dog park has consistently topped our list of requested amenities, so we are thrilled to bring this project to fruition. We look forward to welcoming our two-legged and four-legged residents to the new park."

The 19-acre Bill Keller Park also has two lighted tennis courts, two pickleball courts, three baseball diamonds, a lighted basketball court and three pavilions. The park also has a shaded ADA playground with climbers, swings, platforms and slides.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: DeBary welcomes canines and owners to city's first dog park