Success or Failure? A Look Back at Shreveport’s Dog Park

Shreveport's sprawling dog park celebrates a pretty big milestone today. The city's first ever dog park is now 5 years old.

I can proudly say my departed dog Tiger was one of the first pups to enter that gate on July 15, 2017 as local leaders and organizers cut the ribbon for this grand celebration. And yes it is true, Tiger was the first dog to ever poop in the park. In fact, I think they should add a plaque. Tiger loved the park. He would take off running and keep going and going. He was not the most social of dogs, so I had to keep a close eye on him.

The park on the Shreveport river front at Stoner has hills and lots of green space for the dogs to run. It also has a magnificent pond that has a fountain in the middle. Several dogs were enjoying a dip in the water on the first day of business.

On that first day, I remember when a lab pup named Bourban thought the water looked too good to be true and took a running jump from the high bank. It was hysterical.

Tiger ran and ran until his tongue was dragging the ground. He was the only Boston Terrier I spotted in the park on day one.

I've been to dog parks across the south from Memphis to Jackson and Little Rock. I've also been to many of the parks in Louisiana including Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Lafayette. This is indisputably the finest dog park I've ever been to. It is massive. The dogs have plenty of room to run and roll in the grass. The ditch running through park of the park even has a little mud for those dogs that like to get dirty. Mine was one of those who rolled around in the mud.

Have There Been Problems at the Dog Park?

Yes there have been some problems. The location of the park is prone to flooding and it typically has to be closed once or twice a year because of high water. Just a month after opening, a woman dropped her kids off at the park so they could go swimming in the pond. That is not allowed.

Also in the first week of opening a small dog was killed by a larger dog at the park. The owner of that small dog took full responsibility for the tragedy. She let her kids take her dog into the park while she say in her car finishing her food.

But over time, the flooding has been the biggest problem. It takes time to clean up the debris after the park floods, but the local Dog Park Alliance is always there to help get it back up and going.

HISTORY OF THE DOG PARK