Florence Building Dog Parks at McLeod Park and Downtown
In an eagerly anticipated move, the city of Florence has announced that it will construct dog parks in multiple areas across the city, including McLeod Park and the downtown region. Dog owners in Florence have long expressed their desire for these facilities, and the city council has listened, approving a comprehensive budget of approximately $200,000 specifically for these projects. This marks the first development of its kind in Florence for several years.
A Long-Awaited Need
The city’s Director for Parks, Recreation, and Sports Tourism, Victoria Nash, expressed excitement at the forthcoming facilities, acknowledging that they’ve been a significant item on the community’s wish-list for a protracted time. According to Nash, the new parks will be located in strategic areas including McLeod Park, Levy Park, and a yet-to-be-determined downtown location, thereby ensuring accessibility for most city residents.
There is currently a lack of designated dog parks in Florence. The only places where dogs can run freely are at the Florence Soccer Complex or outside the Pee Dee Regional Airport, which lack specific safety measures for dogs. The introduction of these parks will, therefore, prove a significant boon for the city’s canine-owning citizens.
Features of New Parks
The planned park at McLeod will offer a fenced-in 3,000 square-foot playing space equipped with various play equipment for dogs. The execution timeline for this park’s construction is dependent on the schedule of the assigned contractor. Similarly, a downtown park is in the works, but this will take more time as the project is still selecting a suitable location. In addition to these, a new dog park will be included as part of the $18 million redevelopment plan for Levy Park in East Florence—a project that city officials hope will enhance community engagement and socialization.
Impacts of Dog Parks
Notably, these new dog parks have been welcomed by the President of the Florence Area Humane Society, Jayne Boswell. According to Boswell, dog parks can offer exercise spaces for prospective dog owners who may lack appropriate spaces in their residences. In addition, dog parks form an integral part of the wider city’s efforts to attract more residents to Florence, making it an appealing space to live.
On a more direct benefit, these parks will have a remarkable impact on dogs’ health, notably in providing spaces for them to roam freely and interact with other dogs. As Boswell put it, “It’s kind of like people. If you’re cooped up in a house your whole life, you don’t have the same social abilities as if you can get out in the sunshine and the wet grass.”
Correction
An earlier version of the story mentioned that only two dog parks were underway. The story has since been updated to reflect the fact that there will be three new dog parks in total.
