Roy Zimmermann plays with Cooper, left, and Bentley, at Jade's Dog Park in Butler. The park recently reopened after closing for renovations for a month and a half. William Pitts/Butler Eagle
Dog owners rejoiced as Jade’s Dog Park in Butler reopened for business Saturday, May 25 after more than a month of renovations, including fence repair and landscaping, which began April 15.
On Memorial Day, despite a threat of rain, plenty of local dog owners came out to Jade’s to sample the new surroundings, including George Richardson and Kurt Esman. The two apartment roommates brought three of Esman’s dogs to the park Monday afternoon.
“Since it's reopened, it's a beautiful area,” Richardson said. “It’s really nice, and it’s a beautiful landscape.”
Carrie Jewell, of Kittanning, brought her two dogs, a pitbull named Mini and a husky named Nala, to Jade’s on Monday.
“We don’t have much of a big park in Kittanning,” Jewell said. “I like this (park) because it’s got the agility (course) and it’s big.”
While not all patrons immediately noticed the difference, Roy and Debbie Zimmerman did. They’ve frequently visited Jade’s since it opened in 2019, bringing their dog, Bentley.
“They got rid of the landscaping,” Roy Zimmerman said. “They took the dog jump out, which nobody used anyhow. And they put in a fire hydrant, which is nice.”
Debbie Zimmerman said the two come to Jade’s “almost every day” if the weather is decent.
Jade’s Dog Park opened on the grounds of Alameda Park in Butler in 2019 and was billed as the very first dog park in Butler County. It was named for a black Labrador retriever named Jade who belonged to an anonymous family that donated a large sum of money for the park.
“(It’s the) best thing they've ever done up here,” Roy Zimmerman said. “It was long overdue.”
One thing that hasn’t changed is the park’s layout. The park is divided into two areas: one for larger dogs, the other for smaller dogs.
Following the reopening, Jade’s Dog Park will be open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, weather permitting. The park will be closed for weekly maintenance each Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. from June 19 to Sept. 4.
From left, Kurt Esman, Carrie Jewell, and George Richardson look over their dogs at Jade's Dog Park in Butler. The park recently reopened after closing for renovations for a month and a half. William Pitts/Butler Eagle
A sign for Jade's Dog Park in Alameda Park in Butler. The park recently reopened after closing for renovations for a month and a half. William Pitts/Butler Eagle
