KERNVILLE, Calif. (KERO) — The Kernville Happy Tails Dog park was approved by the Kern County Board of Supervisors in mid-June. Now, those who raised the funds are searching for a contractor.
- Gary Ananian and Robbie Miller raised funds to build a dog park in Kernville during their 2023 Whiskey Flat Mayor campaign. In June 2024 they got permission from the county to move forward with construction.
- Ananian and Miller raised roughly $28,000 from the community for the dog park.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
“My dog Henry is a German shorthaired pointer, needs a ton of exercise so I usually take him and let him run the hills or let him swim in the river or the lake,” said Paul Hathaway.
Paul Hathaway has lived in Kernville for roughly five years – and has had Henry for most of that time.
“I see a lot of people own pets up here and you see them walking their dogs everywhere, so it would be a good thing for the community,” Hathaway said.
It seems like most of the Kernville community agrees, money was raised by Gary Ananian and Robbie Miller during their Whiskey Flat mayoral campaign last year.
“There’s going to be picnic tables, there's going to be shades, sun shades set up everywhere for people and dogs to use. There’s going to be different little obstacles and amenities that the dogs can have as well, there will be running water for the dogs to drink out of,” said Gary Ananian.
For their campaign they raised 28,000 dollars.
The planned dog park reached an important milestone last week.
“The final step was to get a hearing with the board of supervisors, it was on the consent agenda so it was approved, so we’re ready to move forward with construction,” Ananian said.
Ananian says the next step is to find a contractor.
“We’re going to sit down and go through bids from each contractor,” Ananian said.
The completion date is still unknown and will depend on the contractor that gets chosen.
The dog park will be near the baseball field in Kernville.
“Lots of people bring their dogs camping, and our locals travel miles to the one in Lake Isabella,” said Robbie Miller.
Ananian says that the new park will allow dog owners to be more responsible.
“Half the people in Kernville will drive to Lake Isabella to use the dog park, and the other half will take the dogs into the national forest where they are pooping all over the place and we have to pick it up.”
And though he's a responsible dog owner already,
“I always clean up after him, I carry bag with me,” Hathaway said.
Hathaway says he will welcome the new park.
“I would probably utilize it sometimes just so he can socialize with other dogs.”
Miller says the dog park can strengthen the Kernville community.
“Dog parks bring people together. Some people that may have never knew each other, they go, it’s a social environment, people start talking,” Miller said, “So it’s just some community building.”
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