Going to the dogs…
It was apparent from the look on Don Bobzien’s face that he had no idea why he was coerced into coming to a meeting of the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Commission on Wednesday morning. It turns out his good friend former Gov. George Nigh had a trick up his sleeve. The commission honored Bobzien’s contribution to the state’s two new visitors centers — dog parks.
A visitor center on Interstate 40 near Erick has a dog park for travelers with pets. A new visitors center in Kay County on Interstate 35 will also have a fenced-in area for furry friends when it opens Friday morning. Nigh, who often travels with his cocker spaniel, credited Bobzie for giving the state the idea to put dog parks at rest stops. After all, dogs need to stretch their legs as much as their owners.
The commission presented Bobzien, president of Partners for Animal Welfare of Oklahoma, with a resolution. Oklahoma Tourism Department Executive Director Hardy Watkins says the state plans to add more dog parks at visitors center across the state. The recognition nearly brought Bobzien to tears.
“You get older, you cry a lot easier,” he said.
Bobzien also gets credit for making Oklahoma City’s dog park a reality. He’s been working with officials in Tulsa on ways to create a dog park there. But dog parks in rural areas might come first if the state keeps up its promise to add dog parks to existing visitors centers.
“If you build them, people will come out of the woodwork to volunteer,” he said. “You’ll find that people from the surrounding communities will use those parks as much as travelers.”
Julie Bisbee
State Reporter
jbisbee@oklahoman.com
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