CITY OPENS NEW DOG PARK AND THEMED CAT ROOMS AT ACPS
The City of Jacksonville opened the Forest Street Dog Park, as well as the Bold Kitty Café, at the Animal Control and Protective Services (ACPS) campus earlier today.
The dog park is the seventh one in Jacksonville, with more to come. The City’s Parks and ACPS teams worked together to transform an empty plot of land adjacent to the ACPS campus into a park that will benefit the people and pooches at ACPS, as well as the people and pooches who live in the surrounding neighborhood.
In addition to the dog park, ACPS also debuted two new group cat rooms today. The first is the Bold Kitty Café, which is open and purr-fect for more reserved cats. It was an existing cat room that was remodeled thanks to a grant from Friends of Jacksonville Animals. Its slogan is “No Coffee. Cute Cats.”
The second is the Kona Kat Park, which is for the younger and more rambunctious cats at ACPS. This was an existing cat room that is being redone by artists who donated their time to paint it and by Kona Skate Park. They’re donating a slew of decorations in the form of skate-related supplies, which will be added to the room this weekend before it officially opens.
“It has been wonderful to see our ACPS grow over the past three years,” said Mayor Donna Deegan. “I’m so proud of what they’ve accomplished, whether it’s creating these engaging new spaces or significantly increasing adoptions and foster families.”
Today’s additions to the ACPS campus come on the heels of continuous improvements that have led to remarkable results. For example, when comparing January 1 through May 31, 2023, to the same period this year:
- Cat adoptions have increased by 112%.
- Dog adoptions have increased by 140%.
And these numbers are with a nearly 100% increase in the number of animals in foster care, and a dog and cat intake increase of 40% in the last three years.
“ACPS is caring for more animals, achieving stronger adoption and foster outcomes, and improving lifesaving results through better operations, strong partnerships, and innovative community programs,” said Richard Reichard, Chief of Administrative Services.
Photos are available on the City of Jacksonville Flickr page. Please credit Wes Lester/COJ.
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