New Dog Run Coming To Prospect Park Parade Ground

KENSINGTON, BROOKLYN — Brooklyn dogs will soon have a new place to run in Brooklyn's biggest park.

Construction began Monday on the Kensington Dog Run in the Prospect Park Parade Ground near Coney Island Avenue and Kermit Place, officials announced.

The $370,000 dog run — funded through City Council and the Brooklyn Borough President — is slated to open to Brooklyn dogs in June 2020, according to the Parks Department.

The dog run will feature synthetic grass that is "softer on paws," according to a press release.

It comes courtesy of the Prospect Park Alliance and the Kensington Dog Run Association, the nonprofit that's been lobbying for the project for at least three years.

Advocates, arguing that the nearly 20,000 dogs who live near the Parade Ground need space to exercise and socialize with other dogs, gathered hundred of petition signatures supporting the project.

"Many dog owners are unable to take advantage of the limited hours of the Prospect Park off-leash area," organizers wrote.

"The community needs a fenced-in area for unleashed dogs with longer, more accessible hours."

Several elected officials gathered at the Parade Ground to celebrate the beginning of the new run.

"It is not only an upgrade to the Parade Grounds, it also represents a significant investment in the future of the borough," said Council Member Mathieu Eugene.

"This space will provide pet owners with a new area to play with their dogs and to keep them healthy and lively, and for that, I am most appreciative.”