STREATOR – The Hardscrabble Lions Club Dog park will have its ceremonial opening tomorrow in Streator. The Lions Club will host the ribbon-cutting event at 3 p.m. Thursday, at 820 James Street at the corner of IL and James Street. The event will have light refreshments, and of course, dog treats for your furry friends.
Committee Member Bud Wahl says, the idea for a dog park came about when Lions International began commemorating its centennial and encouraged lions clubs around the world to have a major project in the community that could stand as a lasting legacy.
“We ended up with the decision to make a dog park because there’s no dog parks in Streator, we see a lot of people walking their dogs and sometimes they let them loose in places that’s against city ordinance.”
The Hardscrabble Lions committee began negotiations with the city of Streator in 2016 and raised more than $24,000 dollars to fund the project. The dog park features a large shelter, picnic tables, benches, a waste station and a water fountain to keep your pooches hydrated. In addition, the park divides into two sections to accommodate smaller pups.
“People who are off of work and retired are out there all day, you see the same people out there day after day and they just love it, they haven’t had a place to let their dogs run free”
