Elmhurst Park District approves Canine Corner as name for new dog park

The Elmhurst Park District Board of Park Commissioners approved Canine Corner as the name of the future dog during its Nov. 27 meeting, marking an important step for the project. Construction of the dog park is slated to begin in the spring.

In honor of National Dog Day on Aug. 26, district staff asked the community to submit suggestions to name the dog park via Facebook and the district’s community e-newsletter. After a review of more than 200 suggestions, Canine Corner was chosen as a fun, playful name that also made clear the purpose of the site with a hint to its geographic location.

Canine Corner, to be located at 0S761 Old York Road, will be the first dog park in Elmhurst. Residents of Elmhurst have consistently voiced their interest in a dog park in recent years. Land for the park was purchased in 2017 and a master plan was approved the following year.

The park will include large and small dog play areas, a water feature and an agility course. Following delays due to the pandemic, the park pistrict began site prep work this year in anticipation of construction work in 2024.

There has also been ongoing work by Park District staff to secure alternate revenue sources for the dog park. Based on these efforts, the park board accepted two significant private donations for the dog park. The first was a donation for a sponsorship of the 20 x 40-foot shelter from long-time Elmhurst veterinarian John Devries and his wife Linda while the second sponsorship was for the entry plaza with dog sculpture and a bench from Michele Pflum and Kevin Graf.

Staff efforts to secure additional sponsorships will continue, with a variety of sponsorship levels and opportunities for businesses or private donors now available.The dog park sponsorship flyer is available at epd.org or by contact Director of Marketing Kari Felkamp at kfelkamp@epd.org.