Wright Street Bark Park hosts a tail-wagging grand opening event

Hallie Gallinat, Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, Ind.
·3 min read

May 21—Dogs of all shapes and sizes, along with their owners, gathered at the newly-opened Wright Street Bark Park at Muehlhausen Park Saturday morning for games, contests, treats and more.

Beginning at 9 a.m., the grand opening event saw several dog breeds, from small dogs like corgis to large dogs like shepherds, arrive for a morning of fun. The first 50 dog owners to register for the first event, the Dog Fun Walk, were also given a free goody bag as they entered. Water and lemonade was handed out throughout the event by Girl Scouts Troop 00106.

Following the Dog Fun Walk around Muehlhausen Park, Logansport Police Department K-9 handlers Cody Scott and Andrew Strong demonstrated how their K-9 partners sniff out drugs. Four blocks were placed in a field with two containing treats and the other two containing drugs.

Their partners, Snoopy and Arti, were able to successfully sniff out the drugs and ignored the treats, and were rewarded afterwards with pets and toys.

Dogs and their owners were then invited to play in the K-9 Games, which included "Musical Mats," "Dog Mummy" and "Minute to Win It." Prizes like Bark Park mats were handed out for winners, along with bags of treats from Foppers Pet Treat Bakery for participants.

The K-9 contests saw dogs and owners compete in the categories of "Most Talented (Dog Tricks)," "Owner and Dog Look Alike" and "A Face Only a Mother Could Love." Jessica Umholtz and her dog, Bane, won the "Most Talented" contest with his tricks like sitting and rolling over.

Aubrey Eller and her dog, Adeline, won the "A Face Only a Mother Could Love" contest, although they were the only ones who entered. She said the event was fun and Adeline had a blast meeting and playing with all the other dogs.

"I think [the dog park] is a great opportunity for Logansport. My kids are really excited, my son actually requested to have a dog-themed birthday party because of it," Eller said. "So, we're going to have a party for him and invite all of our family to bring their puppy dogs to enjoy the park when it's that time."

Dogs and their owners were then invited to play freely in the park as the event concluded, and Sycamore provided pup cups as people left. Jerimiah Umholtz said the event was fun for the dogs and that both of their dogs, Bane and Steve, had a good time. He said the park looked great and they can't wait to come back.

"It's been a while for people in Logansport, our dogs in Logansport to have something to do," Jerimiah Umholtz said. "We're from Lafayette, [we] recently moved here, so Bane was used to dog parks."

Logansport Parks Administrator Jan Fawley said the grand opening event was really good with just the right amount of people in attendance. She said she thought the people who attended enjoyed it and that dogs and people will learn how to use the facility.

"I've never done anything like this before so it's interesting," Fawley said. "It's fun to watch the dogs, that's the whole point was, you know, 'how much fun can you have with your dog?'"

Lynne Ness, President of the Logansport Parks and Recreation Foundation, also thought the event was fun and a great family event. Both she and Fawley wanted to thank the community for supporting the park in getting the park completed, and Ness hopes the Bark Park will bring in a lot of dogs and their owners.

"... socialization is the key, and I think after COVID, we forgot how to socialize," Ness said. "So, we're hoping that this will bring everybody back together."