BLUFFTON, Ohio (WLIO) - Bluffton community members gathered on Friday for the groundbreaking of a new dog park.
The 36,000-square-foot fenced-in plot will feature two separate areas for large and small dogs, water fountains with integrated dog-watering bowls, and dog waste stations. The park is being dedicated in memory of Katrina Riepenhoff, a Bluffton school teacher who died one year ago while awaiting a heart transplant.
Bluffton community members gathered on Friday for the groundbreaking of a new dog park.
"It's something she really would have enjoyed a lot because she loved the dogs. They helped her a lot when she went through her transplant and recovery. It was something that gave her calmness and emotional support. Just, you know, to come home and snuggle with a dog on a couch and they just adore you. I think that was very relaxing for her. It just helped as a young person, having a lot of health problems, just helped take some of that away and alleviate it. And she was very positive. I think that really helped her keep her positivity, is that release with animals," said Becky Riepenhoff, Katrina's mother.
"She really taught me, like, even if anything bad's going on your life, just gotta keep smiling, keep going. I mean, people go through things every day, and there's always someone going through something worse. Just gotta be happy and love every moment of life. That's what she taught me," said Blake Wright, a student of Katrina's.
Donations for the park are still being accepted. You can dedicate a bench or a tree in memory of a loved one or a lost pet. You can donate through the Village of Bluffton or on the communities' Facebook page, Bluffton Community Dog Park.
