Stephens Co. Shows Off New Dog Park

Part of the Stephens County Recreation Department has gone to the dogs.

Stephens County and the Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting Thursday to officially unveil the new “SCentral Bark” dog park at the Stephens County Recreation Department on Rose Lane in Toccoa.

County Administrator Phyllis Ayers said this was something years in the making and she is glad to see it finally come to fruition.

“Most of your small counties do not offer something like this,” said Ayers. “Several of us, including me, noticed there was a need for this and the Humane Shelter was moving forward very well and I just noticed a lot of people that have small lots really did not have anywhere to exercise their dog, including me who has a one-year-old Australian Shepherd. So Cheryl Stinnett, the program director here, and I had worked on Richard Adams, the recreation director, to take this ball and run with it and he did.”

Ayers said there are plans to possibly add more to the dog park in the future and possibly even add things like obedience training classes.

According to county officials, the new dog park cost the county less than $10,000.

It is located at the Recreation Department, behind the softball fields.

There is an area for small dogs that weigh less than 25 pounds and a separate area for larger dogs.