On Saturday, the grand opening of a long-awaited dog park in Coral Gables brought together the community and their four-legged friends.
Located at 4500 Ponce de Leon Blvd near SW 42nd Street and Grand Avenue, Chewy Bark Park is the newest development as part of The Underline, a 10-mile linear park below Miami’s metromail connecting downtown Miami to Dadeland.
The City of Coral Gables partnered with The Underline and the South Florida-based company to create the 17,000 square-foot park with amenities like designated play areas for big and small dogs in addition to hydration and waste stations.
For Liza McClung and his son, Miles, getting Archie to go to Scenthound, the dog groomer across the street, was a struggle. Now, the new dog park is a game changer.
“This is really fantastic,” said McClung. “Now he’s going to have a really good association with his groomer.”
The event welcomed more than 500 pet parents. Guests enjoyed fun giveaways, free food, and opportunities to learn pet CPR from the Coral Gables Fire Department.
“It’s a true community asset and a community benefit that we’re excited about,” said Eulois Cleckley, CEO of The Underline.
During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago announced that four dogs will get their adoption fees covered thanks to Pawject Pound, an organization created by Our Lady of Lourdes Academy students Presley Bligh and Ana Sosa.
“If we can’t just get them adopted, we still want to do things to help,” said Bligh.
The Chewy Bark Park is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
