In September 2018, the Kenai City Council voted to approve a resolution to design and construct an off-leash dog park in Kenai with the location within Daubenspeck Family Park along the northeast side of the pond.
Former Kenai Mayor Pat Porter provided an update on KSRM’s Sound Off:
“Shortly before I was no longer mayor, we realized that the citizens of Kenai were wanting to have a dog park. We moved in that direction. We already had some designated land for that purpose and so it was our goal to get it started. It made approval through the city council, had it all set up and then I had left town. It went along for a couple of years and then kind of just sort of faded into the sunset. I kind of have resurrected that to make it happen to open next spring.”
Porter said that the city has developed Daubenspeck for families:
“But, overtime, it’s always been actually a place people have taken their dogs to swim on the opposite side of where all the family activities go. So, in the phase 3 of that plan for the park, has always been a dog park. This is where we have moved forward and there are over an acre and a little bit more for expansion in the future has been designated for that area as a dog park. They still will be able to swim in the lake but you’ll still have to take your dog outside the gate to do that. The gate’s not going to be included. The fencing area’s not including the pond, that will be an individual choice, but they still will be able to swim in the pond on the other side.”
Porter said that the city will maintain the dog park with the potential for a civic organization to get involved as well. She said that the park will be well maintained and well supervised.
The new fenced, off-leash dog park will be financed and constructed through the use of donations and volunteers. The Kenai Community Foundation is handling the contributions for the support of the dog park.
