Downtown Indy Will Get Its First Dog Park This Fall

The Downtown Indy Dog Park Coalition met a fundraising goal of $33,000 this month to help finance the dog park on Prospect Street near East Street next to Immanuel United Church of Christ, which owns the land. 

Erica Ballard set out to build the first stand-a-lone dog park in the downtown area three years ago.

"We have the funding, we have the design, the contractors ready to go. All we have left is to head over to the city to get the rezoning and signed variances in place," Ballard said.

"I take my dog on walks all the time and just the number of people I see with dogs and so many people down here with dogs-where do they take them? We’ve gotten so many people come out of the woodwork and said do you need help with marketing, fundraising-so I think it is a great community effort," said Director of Membership Laura Giffel, who helped get the project off the ground when she realized there was a great need for a dog park.

A mid-October opening is planned. The park will be membership based with a fee of $20 per year.