Community Corner
Stratford Dog Park Opens, Is Named In Memory Of First Responder
The park is named after Jared Levine, who died after being hit by a drunk driver. Jared was happiest walking his dogs in Roosevelt Forest.
STRATFORD, CT — Stratford’s canine residents have a new place to play after the long-awaited Jared’s Dog Park opened last weekend.
The park is located in Roosevelt Forest, 700 Peters Lane. It includes an acre for large dogs and a half acre for small dogs, plus water fountains, obstacles and benches. The park’s opening was celebrated with a ribbon cutting Aug. 8.
“Jared’s Dog Park is a wonderful new asset for our residents,” Mayor Laura Hoydick said in a town news release.
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The park is named after Stratford resident Jared Levine, a Bunnell High School graduate and Stratford Emergency Medical Service member who died in 2016 at age 36 after he was hit by a drunk driver. Jared was happiest walking in Roosevelt Forest with his dogs, his family said in the news release.
The park is a public-private partnership between the town of Stratford and The Friends of Jared’s Dog Park, a nonprofit created by the Stratford Dog Park Action Committee and Jared’s parents, Robert and Karen Levine.
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Making the dog park a reality “has been a labor of love,” Robert said in the news release.
“Jared is smiling as he is looking down at us,” Robert said.
The park project has been underway for years, with the town approving the Roosevelt Forest location in 2017.
Park hours are dawn to dusk. For information about donating to support the park, email JaredsDogPark@gmail.com or visit jaredsdogpark.com.
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