Waco dog park permanently closing after landowner sells property, board says

WACO, Texas (KWTX) – The H.O.T. Dog Park in Waco is permanently closing Monday after the landowner sold the property, according to the HOT Dog Park Volunteer Board.

The board said in a post on Facebook late Sunday night that the landowner will be locking the park Sept. 9.

The board said it was unaware that the property was on the market.

The communications director told KWTX Monday morning that it was incredibly sad to see it close.

“If we had prior knowledge, we would have provided a much more advanced notice,” it stated in the post.

The park opened in 2011 as a privately-owned dog park. It became the largest public off-leash spot for dogs in Waco.

Dr. LuAnn Ervin, a local veterinarian, opened the park and maintained it, according to the HOT Dog Park website. In 2019, she retired and moved to College Station, allowing the Waco community to use it. She continued to own the property until recently, when the board was notified abruptly that it was sold, the board says.

The park has battled funding issues in recent years. The park was at risk of closing in June 2023 because of issues with funding storm cleanup, according to a KWTX report,

Over the years, the community has stepped up to the plate to mow the grass, donate time and money or pick up storm debris.

The HOT Dog Park Maintenance team recently built a water shed over the summer for pet owners to fill up a water jug and the pour in the dog’s water bowl.

Today, the board stated the park will be locked and the area will be closed to the Waco community.

A sign posted on the HOT Dog Park’s bulletin board states ‘City of Waco needs to open and operate a dog park.’

KWTX is working to speak with the board, the landowner and the city about the future of the HOT Dog Park and what’s next for the dogs in the Waco area.

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