Karla Vialle’s two yellow labs, Josephine and Savannah, leapt with joy at her feet as she bent down to pick up a tennis ball inside the new Paola Dog Park at Lake Miola on Friday, June 19. “It’s an exciting day for them,” she exclaimed as she tossed the ball into an open area of the park. The dogs scurried after the ball and returned it to their owner after taking a quick detour to climb a makeshift hill and sniff a fire hydrant, both of which were recently installed at the dog park by members of Paola Public Works. The dogs weren’t the only ones excited Friday, as Paola High School freshman Annabelle Shaw and her mother, Alexis, were thrilled to officially open the park they have worked so hard to create. The park was Annabelle’s brainchild, and during the past year she has successfully spearheaded a multifaceted fundraising and marketing campaign that has collected more than $20,000 in donations for the dog park.
(Read more: The Miami County Republic)
