Pet Page

Freedom Barkway Celebrates Renovations

Freedom Barkway Dog Park, located just off Highland Avenue near the intersection of Boulevard in Old Fourth Ward, recently underwent a first phase of renovations and reopened to pooches and their people in early May. City Councilman Amir Farokhi used leftover District 2 Renew Bond funds to help stop soil erosion in the park by adding new rock terraces and a paved path. According to Sylvia Romejin, who heads up the volunteers who oversee the dog park, a second phase will include a water station, lighting, and a shade structure thanks to a grant from Park Pride. “We would love to put in more trees and plants and make it even more attractive,” Romejin said. “We are trying to keep the park nice. It’s a community effort.”

▲Scenthound, a first-of-its-kind dog PET grooming franchise, will open 29 shops in metro Atlanta over the next nine years. Scenthound is a wellness-centered, BRIEFS membership-based dog grooming company that focuses on the five core areas of routine and preventive care for dogs: skin, coat, ears, nails and teeth (SCENT). Franchisee Bill Gray, who owns 20 of those franchises, has already opened his first in Dunwoody. “We had the most successful membership pre-sale to date,” Gray said. “We’ve seen an incredibly supportive partner in Scenthound and we are confident in our decision to continue building the Scenthound brand across Atlanta.” Find out more at scenthound.com. Atlanta-based Furkids Animal Rescue & Shelters has received a $34,000 grant from Petco Love, the nonprofit arm of Petco retail stores. “We at Furkids are honored to receive this generous grant from Petco Love,” said Furkids founder and CEO Samantha Shelton. “The grant will impact our rescue, medical, adoption, and out-of-state transport programs, and will help Furkids maximize the number of animals we are able to save in 2021.” Visit furkkids.org and petcolove.org for more information. The Atlanta Animal Rescue Friends (AARF) Pet Food Bank helped feed over 150 pets per month during the pandemic. The assistance from the pet food bank has eased the financial burden on many families and helped them keep their pets. The monthly subsidies families receive means they don’t have to choose between feeding their pets. The organization continues to seek donations at aarfatlanta.org.

Combo bar and dog park is coming to Buckhead and Westside

Fetch Park – a membership-based bar, restaurant, and dog park – is expanding to Buckhead and the Westside.

The Buckhead location at 309 Buckhead Ave. and the Westside spot at The Works are both slated to open later this year. The business was founded by Stephen Ochs in 2018 after a long five-year journey getting the first park in Old Fourth Ward up and running, which included hearing “no” from 86 banks due to the uniqueness of the concept.

Now with proven success, Ochs is preparing to expand to Alpharetta and then to Nashville.

Noted for using Airstream trailers to serve its food and drinks, both new locations will offer a full-service bar featuring light bites, coffee, beer, wine, and spirits. The green space will be covered in durable, mud-free field turf and will feature cooling stations, a bath area, shaded seating, outdoor televisions, Wi-Fi throughout, as well as attendants, called “Bark Rangers,” that ensure the safety of all dogs and guests and maintain the grounds.

For dogs to be able to enter the park, proof must be provided showing up-to-date DHLPP (including Lepto), Bordetella, and Rabies. Dogs 8 months of age and older must be spayed/neutered, and owners must also sign liability waivers stating that their dog is friendly and social.

Send Us Your Pet Picks

PETS & THEIR PEOPLE

For our August issue, we’ll be featuring photographs of pets and their owners. Send us a snap of you and your pet (or pets) and you might see yourself in this special section! Photos should be high resolution with all persons and pets identified by name.

Send your images by July 16 to editor Collin Kelley at collin@atlantaintownpaper.com