Whether you live or vacation on the Outer Banks, everyone knows that pets enjoy living and vacationing here just as much as the people. With miles of sandy beaches for walking and running, calm sound side waters for swimming and parks for meeting and greeting, Outer Banks pets have their selection of spots for outdoor play. 

The Park with a Heart

Opened in August 2011, the Kitty Hawk Dog Park is the newest and most dog-centric new construction on the Outer Banks. Aside from a skate park, playground, picnic pavilion and community garden, the Kitty Hawk Park is home to Dare County’s first dog park. Kitty Hawk’s dog park provides almost a half-acre of unleashed fun for both local and traveling dogs. Two separately fenced-in sections divide small and large breeds for safety. Each side provides owners with litter bags for clean-up, a water spigot for thirsty dogs and a covered pavilion with benches.

Liam Kenny’s dog park pavilion in Kitty Hawk represents a $3,000 donation to Dare County.

Completed in 2011, the Kitty Hawk Town Park was paid for by a grant of $500,000. Of that amount, $23,750 went to the design, materials and building of the dog park fencing and gate pavilion. When 16-year-old Liam Kenny was searching for a community service project to gain his Eagle Scout ranking, “something that would be here for a long time,” he did not need to look any further than his hometown of Kitty Hawk. Kenny approached Tim White, Public Services Director for Dare County Parks and Recreation. While the town’s wish list may have been long, among the most requested items was a protective cover over the benches at the dog park. White states, “When Liam called me and asked if there was anything he could do, I asked for that pavilion because we spent every penny we had left [on the park] and the building was already approved.”

Boy Scout guidelines require that Eagle Scout projects provide the local area with a service as well as demonstrate the scout’s ability to lead. With 200 dogs registered to use the park, White states “it definitely meets a need in the community; during fall and spring there are as many as 20 dogs there at one time.” According to White, the trees that were planted around the park will one day provide shade in some areas but it’s “a very good experience now for everyone who goes in [the
dog park.”

After filling out applications and receiving approval from the Town of Kitty Hawk and Dare County Parks and Recreation, Kenny enlisted the help of local contractor and long-time Scout supporter, Forrest Seal, as project manager. Having helped other scouts throughout the years achieve their Eagle rank on construction-related community service projects, Seal was familiar with the steps and helped guide Kenny through the permit process, the material-gathering process, and “laying out what the project would entail for Liam to show his leadership capability.”

With the help of Jim Kenny, his father and his many contacts in the local construction industry, the younger Kenny was able to call upon area businesses for building materials, professional services and monetary contributions. John DeLucia of Albemarle & Associates, Ltd. drew the blueprints for the original pavilion at the entrance gate to the park so he donated the approved and stamped plans allowing the same design to be used for the dog park pavilion. Dare County helped financially with a donation. Guy C. Lee and Roof Busters were generous with material donations.

Beginning in March 2013, with the help of Seal and six friends, Kenny surveyed the site, set the pilings, and worked over five weekends. Finishing touches on the 14’x16’ pavilion were completed in early June. Future plans include adding concrete flooring under the pavilion once County funds are available. Over a six month period, Kenny worked 55 man hours on the pavilion. Dare County Parks and Recreation states that his finished project represents a $3,000 donation to the county. Seal believes, “it turned out great. From inception to idea and from planning stages to completion, it provides the needs of coverage.”

It’s a “tremendous shot in the arm for us,” adds White. “I think he’s a great young man. That’s a heck of an accomplishment.”