07/07/2023 – LI-DOG Dog Water Fountain Opening in Heckscher Park
LI-DOG’s Dog Water Fountain Donation to Huntington’s Heckscher Park Celebrated at Grand Opening on July 7th!
Photo Credit: Danielle Fliller
On a hot and beautiful July day, Huntington Town Councilwoman Joan Cergol and other Town officials joined LI-DOG, other dog owners and their pups to celebrate the grand opening of a new dog water fountain donated by LI-DOG to Huntington’s Heckscher Park!
LI-DOG has dedicated the dog water fountain to “the dogs and people who love Heckscher Park.”
The donation is part of an effort by LI-DOG to enhance the enjoyment of dog-friendly parks on Long Island by dog owners and their dogs. Two years ago, LI-DOG donated a park bench to the new dog run at dog-friendly Belmont Lake State Park in Babylon.
LI-DOG also made the donation in grateful acknowledgement of the Town of Huntington’s decision two years ago to allow on-leash dog walking in the town’s signature community park. That effort was led by Councilwoman Cergol who sponsored the resolution to allow on-leash dog walking in the park and oversaw the successful pilot program that led to the Town Board’s unanimous decision in Nov. 2020 to make Heckscher Park permanently dog-friendly. LI-DOG worked with Councilwoman Cergol to make sure dog owners were aware of the commonsense rules for walking dogs in the park such as keeping dogs on-leash and picking up after them.
The opening ceremony on July 7th was a great opportunity to thank Councilwoman Cergol personally for her leadership on this terrific accomplishment!
The stainless steel dog water fountain, which was made by Washington State-based Dog-On-It Parks, is located at the northwest corner of the Harry Chapin Rainbow Stage along the path. It features a slow-draining dog water bowl as well as a water faucet so people can fill their dogs’ own bowls with water.
On the water fountain is a silver plaque that reads:
Donated by LI-DOG (lidog.org)
For the Dogs and People Who Love Heckscher Park
The Town’s Dept. of General Services installed the dog water fountain and will maintain it. (It will be shut off during the winter.)
The day for the grand opening was sunny and hot. By the time the speeches were over and the water fountain was running, the dogs in attendance were eagerly drinking from the fountain—a good sign that it will be put to good use by people and their pups!
To see photos from the water fountain opening, go to the LI-DOG Dog Water Fountain Opening album on our Facebook Group.
Huntington’s Heckscher Park to Get Dog Water Fountain Donated by LI-DOG!