The last time official talk of building a dog park in the city of Ringgold came up, action stalled when bids for a related project came back more than double what was initially projected, Councilwoman Sara Clark recalled during a Jan. 13 work session.
In order to prepare the proposed site at the Ringgold Recreation Complex, they first needed to reduce flooding there. That project was estimated to cost around $600,000, but when it went out to bid, it came back at around $1.3 million, a cost the city could not take on.
“There was no way. … You had to prepare the site,” Clark said.
City discussions about erecting a dog park have come up on and off since 2014, when the North Georgia Animal Alliance (formerly Catoosa Citizens for Animal Care) proposed a dog park to the council.
Councilman Kelly Bomar brought the discussion to the table this time, noting during the Jan. 13 work session that Fort Oglethorpe recently opened its own dog park and that both new Ringgold City Council members Jake Haynes and Rhonda Swaney mentioned dog parks as part of their platforms while running last year.