Indy's First Downtown Dog Park Opens This Month

Indianapolis’s first public downtown dog park opens this month.

Indy Dog Park Co. successfully raised more than $86,000 in less than 45 days through a unique partnership between Indy Dog Park Co, Immanuel United Church of Christ and Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA).

Indy Dog Park Co. Executive Director Erica Ballard said it took determination and community support to bring a dog park to the downtown area, after years of planning.

"I almost cannot believe how much support we’ve gotten," Ballard said. "Not only during the actual process, but as soon as fundraising went up people came out in such large droves to donate money to support us, to promote it."

Ballard said the park will be more than 8,000 square feet, just south of Downtown at 382 Prospect St. in the Bates-Hendricks Neighborhood.  The lot belongs to Immanuel United Church of Christ.

"For year one we’ll have the dog park up, we’ll have funding for maintenance and everything," Ballard said. "We’ll keep going -- year two, three and four -- and hope we not only bring more community members into this dog park but hopefully spur more communities to create their own."

The park will open to members Oct. 17 at 2 p.m. Donors who participated in the IHCDA crowdfunding campaign will be invited to a VIP celebration on Oct. 16 from 4 to 8pm.

To learn more about The Dog Park at Immanuel, visit indydogpark.org.