Palmer Park's new dog park opening soon

Palmer Park's new dog park opens this month with a party and plans for more pet wellness events.

What's happening: The 1-acre park south of Seven Mile and east of Pontchartrain Drive opens with an event Aug. 26, 2-4pm, on National Dog Day, with celebratory treats for both dogs and people, including cake.

Details: The $500,000 park was championed by City Council member Angela Whitfield Calloway and got city funding as well as a Kresge Innovative Projects: Detroit grant, per People for Palmer Park board member Barbara Barefield.

State of play: The off-leash park has water, a separate space for small dogs, doggie bags and a paved walkway.

• Palmer Park Unleashed, a People for Palmer Park committee, already hosted a pet health fair with free vaccines, chipping and licensing for 300 dogs. It's planning future events like that, plus training and rescue organization visits.

Context: A dog park had been part of planning discussions for the People for Palmer Park for nearly a decade, but "there were so many other things the park needed first," like bathrooms, cleanups and general programming, Barefield says.

Be smart: Not every dog is meant to thrive around dogs and people it's never met before. Some dogs may find it stressful or play too aggressively. Palmer Park Unleashed has a list on its website of etiquette and safety rules.