Andy Close
WARREN, Pa. – Very soon it’s going to be a bark in the park, as Woofington Dog Park is nearing its completion.
The park, which sits on a 1 ½ acre lot located next to the Warren County Visitors Bureau, is slated to open this month.
“We’re not quite open yet, but we do intend to open it in July,” said Rocco DelPrince, who has spearheaded the Woofington Dog Park idea, along with his wife, Rebecca.
The lot was overrun with tall grass when ground was broken, but DelPrince sighted and thanked Snell Landscaping for brush hogging to help clear the area.
The park itself isn’t overly complicated, but still, there was a lot of work that had to be done to get to this point. Much of that work has recently been completed.
“We just recently had the fence installed.,” DelPrince said. “The fence will be completely finished by July 10. There’s going to be a corral on each side, like a double-gated area to prevent dogs from escaping. I went over on a Friday and the fence was done the following day on Saturday. It’s amazing how quickly it went up. We’re happy with the height of the fence.”
DelPrince explained that they went with a 5-foot high fence instead of the traditional 4-foot one that many parks use, in part, to ease the concern of dogs potentially getting out.
There will be a work bee at the park on July 10, ‘All Paws On Deck,’ with plenty of work to go around.
“We have mulch set to be delivered,” noted DelPrince. “We have a vet we have on board (Dr. Amy Gealy), who recommended a fence line to prevent ticks from migrating into the fenced area. Mulch tends to be drier and ticks tend not to migrate over. They prefer a moist area.
“So we’ll be spreading mulch, moving rocks from inside the fence to the outside, trimming weeds, hanging banners and rototilling and spreading grass seed because there are some rough spots. We’re here, we’re ready, and we could use the public’s help on Saturday.”
The park will be free to use, although donations are welcome.
“Whatever we can do to ease the concerns of park users, we’re going to do it,” said DelPrince. “If anyone has suggestions on how to improve the park, we’re all ears.”
DelPrince also thanked the community for its support in helping with the effort.
“We got a lot of support from the local foundations that really got behind us and gave us the last push that we needed,” he said. “The fencing company, Bradford Fence and Deck, did a great job.”
Exciting things are in store for the park, for sure, and DelPrince expects it to be a big hit.
“We’re expecting to be popular, especially with the ramp from the Visitors Bureau,” he said. “It’s going to be fun for all to use. I know our three dogs are looking to get out and have some fun and make some new friends.”
