Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Delightful destination for dogs
Furry residents find fun at K9 Corral in Bella Vista
BELLA VISTA — Bella Vista offers a variety of outside amenities to accommodate the various tastes of residents.
There are golf courses, hiking and biking trails, lakes, creeks and even a gun range.
There is also a dog park, and that’s all that Barney, Vanilla Bean, Dutch Chocolate, Mooney, Gracie and Phoebe care about.
That group of dogs seem to love getting together at the base of Loch Lomond Dam to take in the lake’s fresh scents and to frolic while chasing a tennis ball, hiding under a park bench during a game of tag, or seeing who can run the longest and farthest with an empty water jug in their mouth.
For these four- legged residents, the best outdoor amenity in Bella Vista is the K9 Corral Dog Park.
Bella Vista Property Owners Association Lake and Fisheries Superintendent Rick Echols said the park came about as a request through friends of the Bella Vista Animal Shelter.
“It was many years ago when a group with the animal shelter came to the POA and wanted to partner with putting in a dog park,” he said. “We did, and we had a section for small dogs and another section for larger dogs. About five years ago, we had a pretty big flood that washed out the stream bank and got into the small dog park, so we had to rebuild it.”
The floodwaters came from the lake, over its spillway and down into the creek that runs along the south side the dog park.
“About two or three years ago we relocated the small dog park and made it a little bigger and nicer,” he said.
A sign at the park lists rules for those using the park, including rules that dogs must be spayed or neutered, licensed and current on their vaccinations and at least 5 months old.
Dog parents are reminded to “scoop your poop.”
There are spacious, separate enclosures for small and large dogs and both enclosures feature water, shade and lots of sturdy seating for dog parents.
“It’s a place where members can gather up and go and visit and have their dogs run around,” Echols said. “It’s also a good place to have dogs off leash.”
Dogs must be on a leash while going into and out of the enclosures.
Kathy Griffith, who spends a lot of time at the park with her dog, Gracie, and several friends and their dogs, said during the covid pandemic the dog park was “one of the few safe places we could go to maintain our own social connection with the outside world,” adding, “I appreciate that I can bring my puppy here to learn socialization skills, not only with other dogs but other humans, too.”
Echols said while the park is beneficial to dogs, it also serves as a social gathering place for the dogs’ owners.
“There’s a morning group and then an afternoon group that come to the park,” he said. “And in the winter that kind of migrates to midday, unless it’s too cold for anybody to come.”
The park, which is for Property Owners Association members, is the only one in Bella Vista.
“Bella Vista is such a dog-friendly community, and this park is wonderful,” Griffith said. “Maybe someday they’ll build a dog park on the east side as well.”
She also pointed out that the park offers exercise, play and social time for dogs of all ages.
“Even though our dogs are seniors and aren’t as active as they used to be, they still enjoy laying in the grass watching all the youngsters,” she said. “I am thankful to have such a well-maintained amenity in Bella Vista where my Gracie can play, run and burn off all her puppy energy. A tired dog is a good dog.”