Story and photos by Emma Griffin

Bryan County’s Bark Park, located in Richmond Hill, celebrated its 10th anniversary on Thursday, marking ten years since the off-leash dog park first started providing a place for local dog owners and their pets to gather, socialize and play. 

The anniversary was celebrated with lemonade and cookies for the human attendees and dog treats for the four-legged participants. Many of the attending dogs took advantage of the agility course to race their fellow furry companions, while others ran freely in the wide open field. Given the rainy weather, most people took shelter under the pavilion while their pets splashed in puddles and the large pond placed in the center of the park. 

The president of Bark Park, Wendy Bolton, commented on the park’s growth: “We started out very small. This pavilion that we're under right now was a later addition, as was the agility course so those have all been added since we cut the ribbon 10 years ago,” said Bolton. 

The park gets about 1,000 visitors a month, according to Bolton, coming from places near and far.

“It's not only our community. We get people traveling the I-95 corridor. I mean, we've run into people out here from Nova Scotia,” said Bolton.

Bolton also expressed gratitude to the high school volunteers who help keep the park clean and was then surprised with a plaque that will be hung in the park commemorating her contributions. Attendees applauded the volunteer board members that run the organization before dispersing to partake in the food, drinks and intermingling dogs.

Bryan County residents are welcome to visit the Bark Park any time from dawn to dusk and are urged to maintain the clean environment. Visitors are also encouraged to make a donation to help uphold the park’s current conditions and provide scenic surroundings for responsible dog owners. 

For more information, call 912-268-0364, email Woof@bryanbarkpark.com or visit www.bryanbarkpark.com.