King County dedicates memorial pet garden at Marymoor Park, adjacent off-leash dog area

2005 Archived News

King County today dedicated the 1.25-acre Marymoor Park Pet Garden, the first of its kind in the region, where a pet can be remembered with individualized memorials ranging from pet tags to sculptures in a landscaped setting.

"We heard from the community that there was a need for this type of facility, and we are happy to provide such a beautiful location where pets can be memorialized," said Kevin Brown, Director of King County Parks.

The pet garden, adjacent the Marymoor Park off-leash dog area, is the first of its kind in the region where living, lost or deceased pets can be celebrated with pet tags, garden stones, pavers, garden plantings, park benches and sculptures.

Brown said the garden project couldn't have been possible without the support of other public agencies, including the Washington Department of Natural Resources, which provided a grant to educate the public on the value of trees in an urban environment.

Brown also thanked the USDA Forest Service's Urban and Community Forestry Program, Mutual Materials, Rinker, JB Instant Lawns and HD Fowler for their contributions to the pet garden memorial project.

"It's also important to thank our partners in the community, including the Friends of Marymoor Park, Serve Our Dog Areas, Community Gardeners and the Audubon Society," Brown said. "The tremendous energy and talent that these groups provided to this project are largely responsible for its success."

The Marymoor Park Pet Garden is at 6046 W. Lake Sammamish Pkwy, NE. More information is at 206-296-4232, or www.metrokc.gov/parks/petgarden. Pet garden photos are at http://www.metrokc.gov/parks/petgarden/index2.htm.