In February 2014, earlier this year, pet food and product company Purina visited Asheville, ending their inaugural Purina One 28 Day Challenge. While they were checking in with pet owners on their pet’s health after completing four weeks on a Purina diet, they also presented Asheville with a very generous donation. While at the wrap-up party at Ben’s Tune Up, Asheville Citizen Times reported that Purina representative Arik Frankel presented a check to Asheville Parks and Recreation in the amount of $25,000 to renovate the French Broad River dog park.
The Asheville Citizen Times shared Frankel’s remarks with the donation, “We not only wanted to make a difference in your dogs, but in your community. Everyone (at Purina) has fallen in love with Asheville, and we’ve never seen a more dog-friendly place, anywhere.”
The dog park then closed for renovation and Parks & Rec Assistant Director Debbie Ivester shared that the funds would be put to great use restructuring the fencing, improving the overall look and landscaping, creating a pathway to the actual park and more. The beloved local dog park by Asheville pet owners reopened this past Saturday, September 13th.
| “The improvements supported by Purina ONE are complete and feature a new main entrance with fence, updated landscaping, separate entrances for big and small dogs, an information kiosk, and benches within the park.”Other local dog parks in Asheville include one off of Azalea Road in East Asheville, just past the WNC Nature Center, a small one beside Patton Avenue Pet Company on the corner of Patton and Haywood Road and one slightly further out, the Mills River Dog Park. If you know of additional local dog parks here in Asheville, NC, please share them in the comments below as well as your thoughts on the Purina improvements to the Riverside Dog Park. |  |
In other local dog park news—a group of “dedicated dog owners working to create an off-leash park in North Asheville” have banded together to discuss amongst themselves and with the city the possibility of creating an off-leash dog park in the area. To learn more and get involved in their efforts, follow Friends of a North Asheville Dog Park on Facebook or contact nadogpark@gmail.com.
And don’t forget your pet id tag while exploring the local dog parks with your little one. Here’s a really fun Asheville pet identification tag! Take a fun photo of your city while exploring with your bestest bud and upload it to our site to create your own.
| ~ Tiffany and her dog Bella Blue frequent both trails off the beaten path and the local dog parks in Asheville. In fact, their most memorable adventures together are in these spaces where Tiffany can talk to fellow Ashevillians while Bella sniffs and greets all of the four-legged ones running around enjoying the cool mountain breeze. If you haven’t bumped into them yet, you’ll likely see them out there soon! |
