November 6, 2020
By: Dwayne Page
Pet owners now have a place for their dogs, large and small, to run and play.
Smithville’s first-ever dog park is now open!
A grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony for the Central Bark Dog Park was observed Friday afternoon.
The new dog park, located on Transfer Station Road to the rear of the DeKalb Animal Shelter was made possible through a $25,000 Dog Park Dash Grant awarded to the City of Smithville last year by the Boyd Foundation. Randy Boyd of the Foundation, along with city and community leaders participated in cutting the ribbon for the grand opening. Several dogs and dog owners were also on hand to get the first use of the park which is enclosed by a chain link fence with lots of room for dogs to roam. There are two sections, one for smaller dogs and the other for larger canines, and each has water stations, agility equipment for the animals and park benches for pet owners.
Grand Opening Ceremony for Central Bark Dog Park in Smithville from dwayne page on Vimeo.
Gayla Hendrix, former Smithville Alderman, came up with the idea for the dog park here and took the initiative to secure the grant. Mayor Josh Miller praised Hendrix for her efforts. Hendrix then took a moment to thank others who contributed to the project including the following: Megan Moore, Emmaly Bennett, Bill Erdman, Abi Hendrix, Nikki Ellis, Brent & Alison Collier, Landon & Liam Collier, Summer Garrett, Leah Ingram, Mickey Tuggle, Moore’s Construction, J&A Fencing, Bert Driver Nursery, Southern Lighting & Signs, Creations by Donna Flowers & Gifts (for donating the ribbon) and DeKalb County Florist (for donating the balloons), Kevin Robinson and the City of Smithville Utilities Department, Smithville Electric, Mayor Josh Miller and the Smithville City Council.
Smithville’s New Dog Park Opened Friday from dwayne page on Vimeo.
Reverend Mark Pafford of Authentic Being Counseling Services, PLLC offered the following invocation.
“In this moment bear witness. Bear witness to this occasion. In this moment families and households have gathered in common interest, abiding friendship, and mutual celebration. A celebration proclaiming this space sacred. Proclaiming this space set apart as a public trust on behalf of our canine citizens. Those are the ones who are the beloved members of our families. May all our canine siblings and family members when visiting this space, may their tails wag, their paws continue to dig, their ears flap, their legs leap and run, and crawl and may we be blessed as we join with them,” said Pafford.
Boyd, who now serves as UT president in addition to his duties with the Boyd Foundation then spoke and talked about how impressed he was with the dog park.
“What a beautiful day to open a park and what a beautiful park. I have probably been to 100 different dog parks in the last 5 years but none are better than this. Hats off to all the people in charge of helping to build this. You did a fantastic job. Congratulations to Smithville and everybody who helped win this park and when I say win I mean win because it was a contest. Each year there is a contest for 30 plus parks that up to 60 cities will compete for and the cities that win are those that show the most enthusiasm, the most love for their pets, and most engagement. Smithville won this fair and square because you showed more enthusiasm than others. I want to say congratulations to everybody who worked so hard to win it,” said Boyd.
“A little background on why we do this. I am in the pet business. I have a company that makes pet safe products and about 4,000 other things for dogs and cats and the people who own their pets and have bought all our products have been very good to us so a few years back my wife and I decided we wanted to give back to those who had done so much for us. It just seemed a natural thing to invest in dog parks in communities across the state of Tennessee. Its been amazing to see how well they have been received and how much people enjoy them. It is a pet park but it is also for people too. One of the best things about a dog park is that it brings people together. Today the world is very divided. We need more things to bring us together and one great thing about dog parks is that it brings people together,” Boyd said.
Local veterinarian Dr. Scott Little of DeKalb Animal Clinic was then called upon for the blessing and dedication of the park.
“I want to end this portion of the ceremony before the ribbon cutting with a take on an old Irish blessing. Every creature is the word of God. Listen to the word your animal is saying to you. Patience, love, peace, joy. So go out into the world and love one another. Cherish your family animal. Stand against the abuse and neglect of animals and exercise stewardship of all creations so that all can experience God’s peace,” said Dr. Little.