“You asked, and we listened,” stated Mayor Jim Luke regarding the city’s request for a dog park.

For years residents, especially dog owners have asked for a local dog park. The nearest ones available were in Poplarville or Slidell, LA. The city has heard and answered their request.

The City accomplished building its first dog park in October of 2022, (The Barking Lot) made for large dogs. Now it’s time to shift gears to a second dog park that will accommodate small dogs only.

The land hosting the new park is located at 1610 Goodyear Blvd and is owned by the city spanning 10,000 sqft. The park will be called Pat Blades Little Champs Dog Park.

Pat Blades was a Picayune resident who was entangled in the community. Blades supported the city and his Maroon Tide football team. Blades has since passed away, and after getting acceptance from Blades’s family, the city was able to name the park after him.

“One of those people who you remember for the rest of your life,” said Luke.

The Park is estimated to be complete by the end of the year. As of now, the City is looking for donations for this project. Mayor Luke plans to budget this park under $6,000. Also, the majority of the construction, fencing, and installations will be done in-house.