Accomplishments
Shreveport Dog Park Alliance has acquired funding for Shreveport’s first regional dog park. The creation of dog parks goes along with the vision of The Shreveport/Caddo Master Plan in which the main emphasis is on how the community can shape future physical development to sustain, enhance and grow our quality of life. A dog park is a symbol of the quality of life issue of a community, of an all-inclusive community that cares about its people and pets. Economically, it can help attract businesses and newcomers to our area along with attracting visitors, conventions, contests and more. Dog parks are one of the fastest growing urban parks.
The Shreveport Dog Park Alliance, through its non-profit parent organization ABetterShreveport.org, has entered into this cooperative public/private partnership with the city of Shreveport. The city will provide the land and maintenance of the new public park that will have a fence with double gated entries, benches, waste disposal stations, pavilion, drinking water accessibility, and other amenities necessary to a dog park. The Shreveport Dog Park Alliance paid for the architectural design of the area that includes a walking trail, pond, and picnic area outside of the fenced dog park overlooking the river.
Who benefits from Dog Parks?
- Families, Military, film industry, young professionals, retirees, the city and parish as a whole, benefit.
- Dog parks foster a sense of community among newcomers, visitors and neighbors and promote health, safety, welfare, and education.
- Dog parks can provide Community Redevelopment by cleaning up an area, bringing life back to what once was a vibrant area, or by adding life and a new, positive element to an area. People with their pets in an area help deter crime.
They encourage healthy activities in public parks, reducing community medical costs, help to lose weight, lower cholesterol, and reduce stress. They provide a sense of purpose, eliminate loneliness and enhance children’s social awareness. They can provide a place for outdoor activities, shelter dog training, adoption fairs, outdoor canine film festivals/events, and hiking with your hound. Benefits could include a decline in pet overpopulation with spay and neuter education events. They can help provide an increase in pet adoption through Pet Adoption education, rescue success!
Dog park design in school curriculum can foster children’s creativity and science and math skills. Children become interested in pets and are encouraged to read about them providing a fun way to educate.
Dog parks help to provide tools to enforce animal control laws and promote responsible pet care and ownership.
They can provide proper memorials to honor our veterans. Along with humans, military dogs contribute to our returning military veterans assisting in their recovery.
With 79 dogs per 100 households, a pet friendly town means “open for business”. A pet friendly town attracts businesses. Nationwide, Americans spend over $40 billion on their pets. Pet care is the fastest growing category in retail.
Dog parks attract Pet Industry Trade shows. Dog parks attract other conventions and attract television and films to events, providing a venue for movies and pets. Animal Planet, NBC, OLN, Fox and ESPN2 film events on location such as Dock Dog Diving, Disc Dog, Flyball, Dog Agility and more.
Dog parks attract sports. Dog park sports are explosive; they are the nation’s fastest growing sports. From regional, national, and international competitions, to all levels of participation from general public and casual users, training and classes, to exhibitions and festivals, K-9 sports events complement Shreveport’s many festivals with new vendors, new visitors and new fun shows: police dog demos, working dog demos, sporting dog demos and fun pet dog shows.
We can look to model dog parks nationwide and locally; the US has more than 700 off leash recreational areas. Our park provides a site that is readily accessible from downtown hotels, the convention center, casinos and residential neighborhoods.
Our Shreveport dog park will be another great city amenity and an example of a more progressive city, a city headed in the right direction, one that that cares about their people and pets. Happier citizens make for a closer, compassionate community. More dog parks will follow.
Shreveport Dog Park Alliance agrees with the statement, “You can convince anybody of just about anything as long as you are passionate, and I’ve yet to meet any 'dog people' who are not passionate about having these parks.” We promise to stay involved and be stewards of this park. With your assistance we made this dog park a reality, and will hopefully open doors to many other off-leash areas in our community.
Shreveport Dog Park Alliance
(an arm of non-profit ABetterShreveport.org)
Contact:
Cynthia Keith-Director
318-469-1325
cynthiakeith@bellsouth.net
Mission:
To make our community a more “animal friendly” place by creating a regional dog park/event venue, to enhance the lives of the people and their pets. Economically, it can attract visitors/conventions/contests to our area. The Alliance will assist others in the community to make neighborhood dog parks or leash free areas. The Alliance regularly holds events you can take your dog to and helps to promote places and events that allow pets. The Alliance is an advocate for other animal groups in our community.
Kick off events/Fund Raisers:
The Shreveport Dog Park
Alliance relies on funding from fund raisers and donations from businesses and individuals.
Fund Raisers to date are“Pup Crawl” Columbia Café-Feb 2011
Dog Walk-Norton Art Gallery Gardens-March 2011
Fund Raiser, Bistro Byronz Restaurant-April 2011
Spirits & Snacks victory celebration at Lucky’s
Rubber Ducky-July 22, 2011
Oct 24-Dog Wash Fund Raiser
Wine and Beer Tasting with a BITE!” fund raiser Jan 14, 2012/
Fund DRIVE “A Dalmation of Donations” announced. (Our goal is to get 101 donations of $1000 each)
Info table at Krewe of Barkus & Meoux Pet Parade Feb 12, 2012
“First Ever Dog Day Afternoon Dog Wash”-March 25, 2012
and more!
Check out the Shreveport Dog Park Supporters Photo Album!
The Shreveport Dog Park Alliance, through its non-profit parent organization ABetterShreveport.org, has entered into this cooperative public/private partnership with the city of Shreveport. The city will provide the land and maintenance of the new public park that will have a fence with double gated entries, benches, waste disposal stations, pavilion, drinking water accessibility, and other amenities necessary to a dog park. The Shreveport Dog Park Alliance paid for the architectural design of the area that includes a walking trail, pond, and picnic area outside of the fenced dog park overlooking the river.
Who benefits from Dog Parks?
- Families, Military, film industry, young professionals, retirees, the city and parish as a whole, benefit.
- Dog parks foster a sense of community among newcomers, visitors and neighbors and promote health, safety, welfare, and education.
- Dog parks can provide Community Redevelopment by cleaning up an area, bringing life back to what once was a vibrant area, or by adding life and a new, positive element to an area. People with their pets in an area help deter crime.
They encourage healthy activities in public parks, reducing community medical costs, help to lose weight, lower cholesterol, and reduce stress. They provide a sense of purpose, eliminate loneliness and enhance children’s social awareness. They can provide a place for outdoor activities, shelter dog training, adoption fairs, outdoor canine film festivals/events, and hiking with your hound. Benefits could include a decline in pet overpopulation with spay and neuter education events. They can help provide an increase in pet adoption through Pet Adoption education, rescue success!
Dog park design in school curriculum can foster children’s creativity and science and math skills. Children become interested in pets and are encouraged to read about them providing a fun way to educate.
Dog parks help to provide tools to enforce animal control laws and promote responsible pet care and ownership.
They can provide proper memorials to honor our veterans. Along with humans, military dogs contribute to our returning military veterans assisting in their recovery.
With 79 dogs per 100 households, a pet friendly town means “open for business”. A pet friendly town attracts businesses. Nationwide, Americans spend over $40 billion on their pets. Pet care is the fastest growing category in retail.
Dog parks attract Pet Industry Trade shows. Dog parks attract other conventions and attract television and films to events, providing a venue for movies and pets. Animal Planet, NBC, OLN, Fox and ESPN2 film events on location such as Dock Dog Diving, Disc Dog, Flyball, Dog Agility and more.
Dog parks attract sports. Dog park sports are explosive; they are the nation’s fastest growing sports. From regional, national, and international competitions, to all levels of participation from general public and casual users, training and classes, to exhibitions and festivals, K-9 sports events complement Shreveport’s many festivals with new vendors, new visitors and new fun shows: police dog demos, working dog demos, sporting dog demos and fun pet dog shows.
We can look to model dog parks nationwide and locally; the US has more than 700 off leash recreational areas. Our park provides a site that is readily accessible from downtown hotels, the convention center, casinos and residential neighborhoods.
Our Shreveport dog park will be another great city amenity and an example of a more progressive city, a city headed in the right direction, one that that cares about their people and pets. Happier citizens make for a closer, compassionate community. More dog parks will follow.
Shreveport Dog Park Alliance agrees with the statement, “You can convince anybody of just about anything as long as you are passionate, and I’ve yet to meet any 'dog people' who are not passionate about having these parks.” We promise to stay involved and be stewards of this park. With your assistance we made this dog park a reality, and will hopefully open doors to many other off-leash areas in our community.
Shreveport Dog Park Alliance
(an arm of non-profit ABetterShreveport.org)
Contact:
Cynthia Keith-Director
318-469-1325
cynthiakeith@bellsouth.net
Mission:
To make our community a more “animal friendly” place by creating a regional dog park/event venue, to enhance the lives of the people and their pets. Economically, it can attract visitors/conventions/contests to our area. The Alliance will assist others in the community to make neighborhood dog parks or leash free areas. The Alliance regularly holds events you can take your dog to and helps to promote places and events that allow pets. The Alliance is an advocate for other animal groups in our community.
Kick off events/Fund Raisers:
The Shreveport Dog Park
Alliance relies on funding from fund raisers and donations from businesses and individuals.
Fund Raisers to date are“Pup Crawl” Columbia Café-Feb 2011
Dog Walk-Norton Art Gallery Gardens-March 2011
Fund Raiser, Bistro Byronz Restaurant-April 2011
Spirits & Snacks victory celebration at Lucky’s
Rubber Ducky-July 22, 2011
Oct 24-Dog Wash Fund Raiser
Wine and Beer Tasting with a BITE!” fund raiser Jan 14, 2012/
Fund DRIVE “A Dalmation of Donations” announced. (Our goal is to get 101 donations of $1000 each)
Info table at Krewe of Barkus & Meoux Pet Parade Feb 12, 2012
“First Ever Dog Day Afternoon Dog Wash”-March 25, 2012
and more!
Check out the Shreveport Dog Park Supporters Photo Album!
