Josh Morrisey, City of Spokane Parks & Recreation, Marketing Assistant, 509.625.6236
Friday, June 24, 2022 at 2:55 p.m.
Updated July 6, 2022
A crowd of people and their four-legged friends gathered near the Forestry Shelter in Riverfront Park Saturday, June 19, 2022 to see the unveiling of the new name and design concepts for a future dog park — part of a fundraising project through the Spokane Parks Foundation.
To commemorate the organization’s 125th anniversary and renew its presence on the banks of the Spokane River, Spokane Humane Society generously donated $250,000 towards construction of the dog park, now officially named the Spokane Humane Society Paw Park.
“Spokane Humane Society built the very first facility in the city for animal care right here on the banks of the Spokane River,” said Melissa Williams, President of the Board of Directors of Spokane Humane Society. “It feels good to be coming back here to our roots.”
Spokane Parks and Recreation Director Garrett Jones praised Spokane Humane Society for their donation and Spokane Parks Foundation for their tireless fundraising efforts, noting that the new dog park will be an extension of what Riverfront represents for Spokane.
“Riverfront Park is our community gathering place,” said Jones. “A dog park here will be an extension of that theme — a place where people and their dogs can gather in the heart of Spokane.”
Designs from NAC Architecture and AHBL Landscape Architects reflect the data trends gathered from over 1,500 resident survey responses as well as best practices currently available in dog park design.
The design includes separate areas for small and large dogs, a variety of play surfaces, natural shade from trees, seating, programming areas, and a focus on creating a space for both dogs and people to socialize.
Fundraising is still underway for the future Paw Park at Riverfront. Because the project is funded entirely by donations, it’s construction timeline will depend on donations. If you would like to contribute, please go to the Spokane Parks Foundation website and make your donation today.
