ANDERSON COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) – Staff at Anderson County P.A.W.S., community members and council members gathered for a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of their new dog park Wednesday.
The double paw print-shaped dog park has been under construction for the last several months and now it’s open to the public.
According to Dr. Kim Sanders, director and veterinarian at Anderson County P.A.W.S, the park was funded through a fundraiser. It’s equipped with an amphitheater, play areas and tons of already planned events for dogs in the area.
Leaders said this new park is meant to be a fun and safe place for everyone to bring their animals.
“Everyone can enjoy it. It’s really a community gathering spot out here. We have an ampitheather, we’ll have lots of events going on in the future and it’s a very useful place for us here at the shelter for all of our dogs,” Sanders said.
In total, the park has 8 separated play areas for dogs across the county to rip and run. A space dog owners agree is very much needed in the area.
“There was a small downtown dog park I visited once and that was enough. I think this is in a great location and it can reach a lot of people. There are a lot of residents that don’t have sidewalks too,” Cheryl Cowan, an Anderson County resident and dog owner, said.
The shelter sits on 11 acres of land and leaders plan to expand even more to create a trail that’s expected to cover the back half of the shelter. This will be a space for people to exercise, bring your dog for a walk and enjoy nature.
“A lot of dogs don’t necessary enjoy dog parks so this gives them plenty of space to not have to be cramped up with other dogs if that’s not what they enjoy,” Sanders said.
Even if you don’t have your own dog to walk, the staff at P.A.W.S. encourages people to volunteer at the shelter and take one of the many dogs waiting for a home — out for a play date.
