Today was truly a day for the dogs as Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz was joined by Erie County Commissioner of Parks, Recreation and Forestry Troy P. Schinzel, Erie County Legislator Frank Todaro and representatives from Lancaster Unleashed, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization to hold a ribbon cutting ceremony for the newly open Como Lake Bark Park.

This is the third dog park to be created within Erie County park property since 2012, joining similar spaces at Black Rock Canal Park and Ellicott Creek Park, greatly enhancing the county’s third-oldest park on a 534-acre parcel located off of Como Lake Boulevard in Lancaster.

“This new area is a tremendous destination where four-legged friends and their dog-loving owners can enjoy time outside with others,” said Poloncarz. “A lot of hard work and perseverance went into designing this space and securing the funding needed to make it a reality. I applaud Commissioner Schinzel, our park employees and our community partners from Lancaster Unleashed for working collaboratively to provide dog owners a safe and welcoming space.”

Established and maintained as a joint partnership between county government and volunteers from the nonprofit group, the facility includes fenced areas that separate large dogs from smaller canines, water fountains with a unique dog bowl filling feature, a dog wash to rinse off and clean up animals after getting their exercise, and an adjacent comfort station with beautifully painted exterior murals and a dedicated Instagram “photo wall” to capture precious memories for the animals and their owners.

Plans for the future include benches for owners to rest on and a “shade structure” that will be installed in Spring 2022.

“Dog parks are extremely popular and provide a convenient venue for dog owners to spend time with their pets outdoors without having to worry about disturbing others,” said Commissioner Schinzel. “We welcome this new addition to Como Lake Park and look forward to working with Lancaster Unleashed to keep the space a pleasant place for everyone.”

The project was paid for using capital funds from Erie County as well as money received from numerous fundraising events held by volunteers from Lancaster Unleashed. Additional in-kind support was received by Cellino Plumbing, Heating & Coolng and Capozzi Paving & Concrete.

For more information:

On the Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry, visit http://www2.erie.gov/parks/

On Lancaster Unleashed, visit http://lancasterdogpark.org/