HOWL-O-WEEN TREAT

Dressed-up dogs have their day at Mosquito Lake park’s new facility

By VIRGINIA ROSS SHANK

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

Just short of 4 months old, Lady McVicker didn’t seem to mind dressing as a bug for a few hours Sunday afternoon.

Along with the other canines that showed up for the first Howl-O-Ween Dog Walk and Costume Parade, Lady sported her costume proudly, prancing and pacing around at the new Mosquito Lake Dog Park in Bazetta.

“She didn’t like the ladybug ears, but other than that, she did OK,” said owner Emily McVicker, 32, of Bristolville. “I was pleased. It was a lot of fun.”

Lady, a charcoal labrador, was one of at least 100 dogs to participate in Sunday’s festivities at the new facility, which opened officially in July. The event, sponsored by Mosquito Lake Dog Park Friends, was a fundraiser for the park. Pet owners were asked to make a $10 donation to participate. All breeds were welcome, and many breeds were represented.

“A lot of the work here at the park, and specifically at the dog park, has been possible because of volunteers and donations from different individuals, groups and organizations,” said Cathy Abruzzo, president of the dog friends group. “We just wanted to do something to keep the work going, to continue adding to what’s here and improving it. It’s a work in progress.”

Officials have said Mosquito is one of the few state parks in Ohio with a dog park, and it is the first dog park of its kind in the Mahoning Valley.

The late Mike Grammer, who was manager of Mosquito Lake State Park, worked with Mike Wilson of the Trumbull County MetroParks Board to get the project off the ground. The two men put together a plan that would use metroparks money, land at the state park near the beach, and volunteers from both groups to pull it all together. Grammer died unexpectedly in April at age 56, but the work continued. Construction began in late May, and the grand opening was in July.

The park features two separate areas — a two-acre section for large dogs and a one-acre section for smaller ones. Rules for the park’s use have been posted at the entrance. The rules also are available in a pamphlet at the park office.

YouthBuild Trumbull County provided much of the labor to install the split-rail fencing. Metroparks and state park volunteers and officials helped with the rest of the work, which included digging out soil and replacing it with sand along the shore to create a beach and installation of a plastic chain-link fence on one side of the split rails.

“We’re thankful for any help and support we get,” said Abruzzo. “There’s still a lot we’d like to get done here.”

Abruzzo said although Sunday’s event was primarily a fund-raising effort, it also provided an opportunity to introduce more dog owners and area residents to the new facility.

“We want to make sure people are aware that it’s here — that it’s a wonderful place, and we’re hoping people make as much use of it as possible,” she said. “That’s what it’s here for.”

She said the group intends to make the dog walk and costume parade an annual event.

Meanwhile, first-time visitors Grace, 19, and Hannah, 13, Aulizia of Lordstown said they plan to return to the facility with their pets. Grace’s canine friend Snickers sported a pink nightshirt that matched her owner’s top, and sister Hannah’s pet Keily wore a red flannel vest similar to her own jacket.

“It’s just something fun to do, something different,” Hannah explained. “And they love it here. They’re running all over the place with all the other dogs. It’s really nice. This is a great place, and it’s a lot of fun. We’ll definitely be bringing them back. It’s a great idea to have something like this.”