West Columbia furry friends have a new place to run around.

The city held a ribbon cutting Feb. 16 for Bark West, its first dog park. The park has two off-leash areas, one for small dogs and one for large, along with an activity course.

“It's just another offering to get folks out and about in the town of West Columbia,” Mayor Tem Miles told the Chronicle. “It gives them a chance to get out and to safely interact with their dogs and the area where they don't have to worry about their dogs running off being hit by cars. It's a chance to then take them off leash and let them play.”

Tara Greenwood, project manager for the park, told the Chronicle that the city worked with a landscape architect firm to maximize its usage of the 1.5-acre space, as well as conducting research and visiting other dog parks to observe what other municipalities have done. Within the park, the dogs have access to an activity course full of hills, tunnels, hoops and a-frame ramps.

“There is something for every kind of dog,” Greenwood said. “Some dogs [are] a little more laid back than others and others really need to get that energy out.”

She added that if you look at the park from above, the activity area resembles a dog bone.

Miles said the land the park is built on was donated by Randy and Saradean Hallman, relatives of former council member Casey Hallman. 

The land is located on a powerline easement, which means the city had to meet the requirements for two different power companies. According to Anna Huffman, the city’s director of public relations, this caused the planning process to take a few years, but construction only took about half a year. 

The project was funded through city hospitality tax funds at a total cost of $237,000.

The park is open from sunrise to sunset and allows up to three dogs per household. The annual fee for the first two dogs is $25, with the third costing an additional $10. In order for your dogs to be registered, they must have up-to-date records for rabies, parvo (DHPP) and kennel cough vaccinations, along with a record of being spayed or neutered. 

There is no current limit to how many dogs are allowed in the park, Huffman said, though she added that the city will monitor the numbers and peak time periods.