Shelby dog park dedicated, open to public

By Lauren Becatti | The Shelby Independent

Dog park users can access the new park through the Harmony Trail entrance photos courtesy of Lauren Becatti

Mayor Stan Anthony and members of City council and employees gather for the ribbon cutting dedication of the new dog park on Friday, Oct. 3, 2025. Photo courtesy of Lauren Becatti

The newly completed Shelby Dog Park opened in Uptown Shelby on Friday, Oct. 3, with an official ribbon cutting ceremony.

Located a short walk down the paved Carolina Harmony trailhead located on West Marion Street, the property was purchased from Cleveland County Schools in 2023. The park was built on the old baseball field and football practice field behind the old Shelby Middle School.  

The new dog park is just under two acres in size. It features a multi-tiered water fountain, benches, trash receptacle, dog waste bins, non-active fire hydrants, large rocks, and a few shade trees. There are also two separate areas for small dogs and large dogs.  

Mayor Stan Anthony spoke at the ribbon cutting ceremony. He thanked the community and Shelby staff members for coming out to the opening. 

“So glad that everybody could come out. This is an exciting day in Shelby as we finally have a dog park,” he said.  

Anthony told a story where 14 years ago, when he became mayor, someone asked when Shelby would get a dog park. Mayor Anthony replied, “A dog park? What's a dog park?” He said over the years he has learned what a dog park is from the many dog lovers in our community. 

Executive Director for Uptown Shelby Association, Carly Bostic, also had positive things to say about the park.

“I think everyone’s just super excited about it; to have another thing to bring people together in the community,” she noted.  

The new Shelby dog park located at 126 West Marion Street, and the dog park can be accessed via a short walk down the Carolina Harmony Trail.  Photo courtesy of Lauren Becatti

Chip Nuhrah, Public Information Communications Officer for the City of Shelby, added, “This is something that the community has wanted for a long time.”

He said so many people here are dog and pet lovers, “And so, to finally have this is just really nice.”

Nuhruh also mentioned how overgrown the area had become, before building the dog park, “It’s been unused and unkempt for a very long time. It was all grown up. They had to do a tremendous amount of work to get it to where it is now.” 

Kim Pruitt and her rescue dog named Lady were there to celebrate the park’s opening. “I'm very excited that it's here. It's a wonderful addition to Shelby,” she shared.  

Andrea and her dog Sadie, a rescued Treeing Walker Coonhound, were also extremely excited for the park’s opening, stating, “It's very nice, because I'm not far, so it's within local distance. And, I think it's going to bring a lot of people together. I think it's going to be great for the community as a whole, so I'm very grateful.” 

The Shelby Dog Park’s hours are daily from dawn to dusk. To ensure public safety, the City of Shelby posted a list of rules at the park entrance. The only animals permitted in the park are dogs, which must be healthy and at least four months old. Dogs are free to run around without a leash in the park, however, they must stay on a leash before entering the park and after leaving.

All handlers must be at least 16 years old, and children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. For a complete list of the rules see the City of Shelby website:

https://www.cityofshelby.com/departments/parks-and-recreation/shelby-dog-park.

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Lauren Becatti is a contributing reporter for The Shelby Independent.