Cheyenne Park
Off-Leash Area Grand
Re-Opening 
The Cheyenne Park Off-Leash Area re-opened to wide acclaim on Saturday, October 1. It was a great success with vendors, treats for dogs and their owners, and a leash-cutting ceremony. The park was largely destroyed in the 2008 floods, but thanks to the work of many volunteers and the commitment of the city of Cedar Rapids, dog owners once again have a lovely park where they can enjoy some quality time with their favorite canine pals. Effective October 1, permits are once again required to use the park. Owners may purchase permits at Cedar Rapids Animal Care & Control, 2109 Northtowne Ln NE. Owners must present proof of vaccinations and pay $25 (a discount is available). Daily permits may be purchased in the park for $5.00. Download a permit application at this link, and get your permit today so you and your dogs can once again enjoy this beautiful multi-acre fenced play spot! |
The Perfect Day
His Dog Was Dying, But They Could Spend One Last Day Together 
This is excerpted from Jon Katz's new book, Going Home: Finding Peace When Pets Die.
It is possible to take something beautiful and lasting out of the heart-wrenching experience of seeing the animal you love move inexorably toward death. Nobody can take the grief away, nor should anyone try, but our love for animals is nothing but a gift, and it keeps on giving, even when they go home.
A man named Harry, an Iraq war veteran and tennis coach from Minnesota, hit upon a simple and profound idea to transform this otherwise sad experience into a blessed one.
Read more ...
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Dogs in the News 
Reports that a dog accompanied the Navy Seals' raid on Osama bin Laden's Pakistan compound created a wave of interest in the animals and their training. Almost 3000 dogs are in use by the American military. Other dogs have been in the news lately as well, with sniffer dogs searching for bombs in sensitive areas in the wake of the raid. Sniffer dogs were also deployed to search for victims of the tornados in the American South. Dogs were in headlines for other reasons recently too, as several hundred were rescued in China, street dogs were being killed in Kosovo and Romania, and luxury dog hotels opened in Europe and North America. A luxury hotel would be a welcome change for those dogs abandoned in Japan in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami and nuclear disaster. And in the middle of all of this, the International Dog Show in Szivasvarad, Hungary showed off pampered purebreds. Collected here are pictures of working dogs, rescued dogs, those suffering the effects of natural disasters, and several others. -- Lane Turner
See the photos.
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| Greetings!
There is much to celebrate this month, not least among these things is the official re-opening of the Cheyenne Park off-leash area on the southwest side of Cedar Rapids. We celebrate our volunteers and the City's Parks Department for helping to make this happen. We celebrate our donors and our board members and news of a new Animal Shelter at last. Please join us to celebrate dogs and the freedom to run and play off-leash! Thanks to you all for your continued interested in our area's dog parks.
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| Dog Park Closed Wednesday, 10/5
The Cedar Rapids Parks & Recreation Department will close the Off Leash Dog Park located at Cheyenne Park, 1650 Cedar Bend Lane SW, on Wednesday, October 5 for parking lot repairs. The lot will be seal coated by the Public Works Department. The park will reopen on Thursday, October 6 for normal Park hours.
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| K9COLA Donates $20,000
K9COLA is proud to announce that on October 1, 2011 at the Grand Re-opening of Cheyenne Park Off-Leash Area, we were able to present the City of Cedar Rapids Parks and Recreation Department with a check for $20,000.
This money is the result of three years of tireless fundraising by K9COLA volunteers and donors. All of the funds will be used to work toward K9COLA's mission: to support and promote safe off-leash areas in and around Cedar Rapids.
K9COLA and the Parks and Recreation Department will work together to determine specifically how and where these funds are most needed and will be used. Your donations DO make a difference! Thank you so much to everyone who has helped us.
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| CRKA Donates to K9COLA
The Cedar Rapids Kennel Association has long been committed to supporting K9COLA and off-leash parks. In this spirit, CRKA president David McDonald, presented a check to K9COLA for $1,000 for sponsorship of the training yard. The money will likely be used for a memorial; we'll share details as we work them out with CRKA.
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New Animal Shelter for Cedar Rapids
It's final: the city is getting a new $4.5 million animal shelter, to be built at Kirkwood Community College.
After much discussion, the council unanimously approved the Flood Recovery Committee's recommendation to move ahead on the animal shelter using sales-tax money. The new shelter will become a reality with the help of up to $3.5 million in revenue from the city's 1-percent local-option sales tax for flood recovery.
No one from the public spoke out in opposition to the city's plans for the shelter during the public comment period of the council meeting.
The council announced months ago that it would use some of the remaining local-option sales tax revenue to fill funding gaps if necessary to replace three flood-damaged buildings, the library, the central fire station and theanimal shelter.
Police Chief Graham told the council last night that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has agreed only to provide the city about $1 million in disaster assistance to rebuild the shelter. FEMA is not willing to provide extra funds to relocate the former, flood-damaged shelter from an out-of-date facility off Old River Road SW on the far edge of the city, he said.
Read more ...
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