Scottsdale's newest dog park has an artistic surprise
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Truman takes a seat at Thompson Peak Park. Photo: Gitanjali Poonia/Axios
The new Thompson Peak Park Dog Park may be paradise for dogs, and it's great for art lovers, too.
Why it matters: Did you expect anything less in our town?
State of play: The park features a sculpture, "Woof!," which is a series of six aluminum panels — 5 feet tall and 18 feet wide — powder-coated in bright pink, yellow and blue.
- The panels have dog-shaped cutouts made with a high-pressure water-jet machine that are meant to cast shadows.
Context: Arizona-based artist Shachi Kale created the sculpture and has made public art for other cities, including Tempe, Chandler and Mesa.
- Originally from Mumbai, India, Kale has lived in Arizona for 25 years and works in media including watercolor, fiber arts, printmaking and digital art.
What they're saying: "Woof!" — named after Kale's rescue puppy — is meant to represent a variety of dogs with the desert landscape in the background.
- "When I started the project in 2023, I was excited because my dog Buzz loved dog parks and I wanted to take him when this one opened," Kale said in a press release.
Zoom in: Spanning 3.5 acres, this $6 million park is another amenity for pups in a city already ranked the most pet-friendly in the U.S.
Zoom out: Scottsdale ranked No. 1 for the most pet-friendly city in the U.S., according to a WalletHub study from earlier this month.
- The ranking was driven in part by the number of pet businesses and dog-friendly shops per capita, including the 10th-highest concentration of dog-friendly restaurants.
- Nearly 98% of rental listings in Scottsdale allowed pets, and the average homes provide more space for pets to roam.
- More than one-fourth of Scottsdale is parkland, another positive — especially when paired with good weather.
If you go: The park, at 20199 N. 78th Place, has three fenced, gated off-leash areas, allowing one to close for maintenance while the others stay open, similar to Chaparral Dog Park.
- Shade canopies, benches, water fountains and waste stations are available for dogs and their owners.
The bottom line: North Scottsdale's newest dog park is worth a visit, even if the art steals some of the attention.