As a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, The mission of the Ghent Dog Park Association is to
- provide a safe, clean, beautiful, and accessible environment for people and dogs to exercise and socialize together;
- solicit, receive, invest, and use funds to facilitate the health, safety, and improvement of the park for people and dogs and provide volunteer support toward those ends; and
- support off-leash privileges, advocate responsible dog ownership and education and will cultivate community spirit and neighborhood relationships through outreach efforts and programs.
Fostering Community
We provide a safe, clean, beautiful, and accessible environment for people and dogs to exercise and socialize together.
With one out of three households owning a dog in a concentrated urban area, it is very important for dogs to run and socialize with other dogs.The Ghent Dog Park was established at Stockley Gardens by the City of Norfolk in 2003, and since has become a lively community center with dogs and their owners enjoying the park every day from sun-up to sundown. The Ghent Dog Park Association has the support of the City of Norfolk’s Planning Commission, Recreation, Parks & Open Space, and Norfolk citizens.
Park Development
We solicit, receive, invest, and use funds to facilitate the health, safety, and improvement of the park for people and dogs, and provide volunteer support toward those ends.
There are over 900 dog parks around the country. The Ghent Dog Park is unique because it is located in an urban, historic area with a dense population, auto and pedestrian traffic, and a great many families with dogs. We rely solely on your donations and the dedication of volunteers to support the Ghent Dog Park. As a community, we can improve the safety of both animals and humans while furthering the overall beautification and maintenance of the park.
We recently completed a project that incorporates a state of the art surface area to the center of the park.
Fibar Engineered Wood Fiber is made from specially ground virgin wood fibers that have been screened to yield random-sized particles that generally do not exceed ½″ x 2″ in size. This longer shape, along with the smaller-size particles, aids in the interlocking process to reduce movement and eliminate splinters. Because the long fibers tend to mat down and interlock together, the surface actually improves with age and use to resist movement and absorb impact. We are the first dog park in the area to use Fibar.
Advocacy & Education
We support off-leash privileges, advocate responsible dog ownership and education, and cultivate community spirit and neighborhood relationships.
Dogs help make Ghent a very special place. Everywhere you look, people are out walking their dogs around town. On nice days, these walks may even include a stop by the Ghent Dog Park! In 2001, the U.S. Census estimated that 36% of U.S. households owned a dog. In a concentrated urban area, it is very important for to learn how to be good citizens of their community. It takes awareness and dedication to ensure the safety and enjoyment of dog ownership for everyone. The GDPA coordinates outreach efforts and programs in the surrounding Norfolk area. These opportunities are for members of the community to learn more about responsible dog ownership, training, and related services.