The dog park in Lakeland Hills Park is the only one in District 7. Photo by Madelyn Edwards.
Lakeland Hills Park at St. Francis Avenue and Hunnicut Road is home to a new dog park.
The dog park took the place of the old baseball diamond that was never used, Ferguson Road Initiative Executive Director Vikki Martin said. It’s not the only dog park in East Dallas, but it is the only one in Dallas City Council District 7.
“A group of people, mainly women, felt empowered to do something positive for their community that would serve everybody,” Martin said.
The dog park, which is less than an acre, features a side for large dogs over 30 pounds and another area for small dogs under 30 pounds. Concrete was utilized, as opposed to metal, around the perimeter of the enclosures so that dogs can’t dig their way out, and the fence perimeter won’t rust when the canines inevitably pee on it. The play areas are filled with not grass, but the same kind of mulch that is used in playgrounds and won’t splinter.
Separate sides for small and large dogs are available at the Lakeland Hills dog park. Photo by Madelyn Edwards.
“We did not want a big regional dog park. We wanted a dog park that was specifically to be an asset for the neighbors and the neighborhood,” District 7 Park and Recreation Board member Daniel Wood said.
Improvements to Lakeland Hills Park, which opened in 1974, has been a community-led effort and years in the making.
“Twenty-five years ago, D Magazine ranked Lakeland Hills Park among the worst neighborhood parks in Dallas,” District 7 City Council member Adam Bazaldua said at a ribbon cutting for the new dog park about a month ago. “At the time, the park had few amenities, an outdated playground, deteriorating courts, uneven terrain and limited opportunities for families to truly enjoy the space. But this community never gave up on its park.”
A ribbon cutting for the Lakeland Hills dog park took place in mid-October 2025. Photo courtesy of Vikki Martin.
Now, Lakeland Hills Park has a pavilion, exercise stations, more trees and infrastructure improvements, Bazaldua said.
“A big part of that transformation was led by the Ferguson Road Initiative, a group of dedicated women from Lakeland Hills and Hillridge, whose advocacy secured bond funding for a new walking path, modern playground equipment and the only skateboard park in the Dallas park system.” (Though another one is on the rise in Oak Cliff. And improvements to the Lakeland Hills skate park are funded in the 2024 bond.)
These days, the park gets pretty busy with people using the soccer fields, tennis courts and playground.
“It’s not unusual to drive by there on a nice autumn Saturday and see 300 people there with food trucks,” Martin said. “It’s a very activated park.”
Concrete was used strategically at the Lakeland Hills dog park. Photo by Madelyn Edwards.
So, why was a dog park needed?
“Dog parks build community,” Martin said. “Take your dog there, and your dog runs around, and you talk to the person next to you. That’s what parks are all about, is really providing green space, providing exercise, health options, but also social connections.”
The dog park also offers an enclosed space for canines to be in as opposed to off-leash in the park, scaring visitors who are afraid of dogs, Wood said.
“It creates a safer place for all parties included,” he said.
