Lafreniere Dog Park

Metairie, Louisiana has been around, in one form or another, since the early 18th century. And it has seen a lot. It started life as a collection of sharecropper shacks on the shores of Lake Pontchartrain. The town survived bouts of yellow fever, too many floods to recall, one term of having David Duke as a Congressional Representative, and Hurricanes Betsy and Katrina. At a minimum, the town of Metairie is a survivor. 

In the early 20th century, Metairie graduated from small town to suburb of New Orleans. Today, the town is mostly similar to many other suburbs, with some notable exceptions. For one, it is quite close to New Orleans. In fact, many hotels offer regular shuttles to the French Quarter. But even without going into the city, it is still Louisiana, and you can still find excellent food and music, as well as a healthy nightlife. 

But one of the best things Metairie has to offer is Lafreniere Bark Park. Lafreniere Park is a big, beautiful well-landscaped park, with a lot of French influences. It is famous for a very elaborate carousel that looks like every little girl's dream. So the dog park, which is the newest in the New Orleans, is also big and beautiful. At five acres, it is a healthy-sized dog. 

Just outside the dog park, there are some fun dog sculptures, including one that is made to look like a balloon animal, with purple and gold balloons. The dog park itself is covered in lush grass, with benches and lots of shady trees. The Lafreniere Bark Park is divided into two separate sections, with one section set aside for dogs weighing less than twenty-two pounds. 

The main section of the park has agility equipment, and there are poop bags throughout the park. The city carefully maintains the park, and it is closed Monday mornings. However, visitors should be aware that the park gets very muddy in the rain. The city installed a dog washing station just outside the dog park's gates, which is a great example of how much Metairie values their dog park.