Dog Park Idea at Henry & Ola Gaining Momentum

Dog owners in Tampa Bay have a plethora of places to walk their furry, four-legged friends. But the official distinction of "dog park" has only been afforded to a handful of parks, according to the City of Tampa's website.

Maurice Rosas is hoping to change that by spearheading the creation of a dog park at Henry & Ola Park in Seminole Heights.

The idea is to create an area in the western section of the park for dogs to play, Rosas said.

"There's nice trees, and lots of shade," he said. "It works out that it will be big enough to accommodate big dogs and little dogs. The area will be fenced in. It will have places for the dogs to run under and jump on."

Rosas, who has lived in Seminole Heights for 15 years, is backed by Seminole Heights dog owners, a Facebook page supporting the move and an online petition that garnered hundreds of signatures.

To raise the money needed for project - Rosas gave a retail estimation of about $10,000 for fencing and other materials - events like a front porch party or doggie bowl gala are in the works.

Rosas is waiting for city officials in the parks and recreation department to give organizers of the dog park a layout for review. A call to a city official regarding the project wasn't returned.

The idea for the dog park came about after Rosas dealt with a "progressive degenerative illness" that made it hard for him to walk - or to take his black lab, Roscoe, to a dog park.

"It's not the greatest ease to take a bus to Al Lopez Park or a leashless dog park," he said. "I had been thinking about this for some time."

To donate or for more information, call Rosas at 813-727-6680.