BY BEN VERDE
Cooped up pups in Central
Brooklyn fi nally have a place
to run free, thanks to a newly
opened 7,000-square-foot Kensington
Dog Run at the Parade
Grounds in Brooklyn’s Backyard.
“I think this dog park is
amazing,” said Kensington resident
Vivian Johnson, who was
playing fetch with her French
bulldog Lucy on Tuesday afternoon.
The new space — which
opened on July 6 near Coney Island
and Caton avenues — will
serve as a green refuge for the
quarantined residents of nearby
neighborhoods including Kensington,
Windsor Terrace, Ditmas
Park, and Flatbush, where
about 20,000 canines reside, according
to 2015 Department of
Health statistics.
Johnson said she and Lucy
particularly enjoyed the added
bonus of fresh water available
at the run’s dog-accommodating
COURIER L 4 IFE, JULY 10-16, 2020
water fountains.
“It’s wonderful to have water
on tap,” she said as Lucy lapped
up cold water from the built-in
bowl. “You don’t see that very
often.”
The dog run was funded by
the city’s participatory budgeting
program, where locals vote
directly on projects they’d like
funded through their local City
Council offi ce.
Residents of Councilman
Mathieu Eugene’s 40th District
voted for the project, which also
received additional funding
from Councilman Brad Lander’s
District 39, Brooklyn Borough
Hall, and local dog-loving
groups Kensington Dog Run
Association and FIDO Brooklyn.
The additional funds helped
Two canines enjoy the newly opened dog run. Paul Martinka/Prospect Park Alliance
foot the total cost of the project,
which reached $405,000 by the
time of its completion, according
to the Prospect Park Alliance
— the non-profi t group
that designed the dog run, and
managed its construction.
“The Kensington dog run is
the result of several years of advocacy
by our neighbors,” said
Salvatore Garro, president of
the Kensington Dog Run Association,
which spearheaded the
effort. “This park encapsulates
community and will forever be
an example of what civic engagement
can achieve.”
The park comes equipped
with state-of-the-art dog run
technology — including the
fi rst canine-friendly astroturf
in any New York City dog run,
which boasts superior drainage
thanks to a porous backing
which allows both water and
dog waste to fl ow through the
material. Also in the turf is an
antimicrobial agent that keeps
it from reeking.
The park also has ecofriendly
benches made of reclaimed
wood from fallen trees
in Brooklyn’s Backyard, a separate
fenced off area for smaller
pups, and so-called “dog-waste
resistant” shrubs.
“It’s a win for the community,
and a win for the dogs too!”
Brooklyn Borough Parks Commissioner
Martin Maher said
in a statement. “Pups deserve
open space, and now more than
ever, it is a joy to celebrate a new
space for our dogs to run, play,
and do their business too.”
Dog days
New Kensington dog run
opens to the public
This is your city.
Do you know your zone?
Visit NYC.gov/knowy ourzone or call 311
to find out what to do to prepare for
hurricanes in NYC. #knowyourzone
YOUR PARTNER IN THE
STRUGGLE FOR JUSTICE
BEST ATTORNEY AND
BEST PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER
JOHN J. CIAFONE ESQ.
THANK YOU!
203 Meserole Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11222
718-278-3900
johnjciafone@yahoo.com
NYS
Certified
EMT/EMS
BEST ATTORNEY
WINNER 4 YEARS IN A ROW!
BEST PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER
WINNER 3 YEARS IN A ROW!
link
/knowy
link