There is a new place for Natchitoches’ four-legged residents and their owners to have fun together. Parc Natchitoches’ Dog Park officially opened Thursday, March 14 with a ribbon cutting presided over by Mayor Williams, Natchitoches Chamber of Commerce president Laura Lyles, and representatives from their Natchitoches Young Professionals program. The NYP members have pledged $15,000.00 over the next three years for the park’s upkeep.

The dog park, constructed at a cost of around $200,000.00 funded by the CARES Act, consists of two fenced areas for dogs of different sizes. The area also features water stations and waste stations. A grant from Louisiana Beautiful funded trashcans. There is also a concrete pad for a future gazebo.

After the ribbon cutting, the crowd of pet lovers enjoyed refreshments. Natchitoches residents Claire Prymus and her boxer Beaux were the first official guests of the Parc Natchitoches Dog Park.

Note: The construction cost to date is around $140,000, spread out over multiple fiscal years. Also, the funding source is not the CARES Act. The funding source is the City’s budget. We have line items associated with the dog park as well as line items that will fund the continued development of the park in the future. For example, you stated accurately that there is a concrete pad for a future gazebo. That concrete work was budgeted for in one fiscal year. The gazebos are a part of our 2024-2025 budget. We have been thoughtful in our planning and consistent with our strategy of phasing in components of the dog park over time.