FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:    John Yarbrough, Lee County Parks & Recreation
                (941) 338-3310

FORT MYERS, Fla. (October 31, 2000) – Lee County is building a "Dog Park" at the 135-acre Buckingham Community Park that will cater to the special recreational needs of local dog owners and their pets.

A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for Nov. 2 (Thursday) at 1 p.m. at the park. Buckingham Community Park is located just east of Lee County’s Resource Recovery Plant on Buckingham Road after Buckingham Road splits from State Road 82 east of Interstate 75.

The Dog Park will consist of two main features:

• A 1-½ acre fenced area will allow owners to unleash their pets to run free and will have a separate space for small dogs and puppies.

• Another, larger, area will be a designated for leash walking and include trails around a mitigation lake and primitive back trails through pine and palmetto habitats.

The park will offer basic amenities such as watering holes, a "cool off" doggie shower, dog-waste disposal stations and picnic tables. Dog owners will be required to have proof of vaccinations, dog licenses and keep their pets under control at all times. The facility’s users will monitor themselves with the help of volunteers to assure all have a positive experience. When completed, the park will be open dawn to dusk, seven days a week.

Dog parks and canine friendly areas are one of the hottest trends in America. It is estimated there are 500 dog parks and beaches nationwide with more being designated daily. Lee County’s Parks and Recreation Department began development of the park after receiving more than 1,000 signatures of people wanting a dog friendly area.

Buckingham Community Park is partially developed with three football fields, four baseball fields, concession buildings, restrooms and a picnic area and serves as home to the Buckingham Little League and Riverdale Wildcats Pop Warner Football League. Its rural setting also offers abundant wildlife, including eagles, wood storks, wild hogs, alligators, bobcats, otters and other native inhabitants. The new Dog Park will add a unique dimension and give the park a balance between active and passive recreation.

The $15,000 project is expected to be completed in two-to-three months.