Our Daily Show Interview! Godfrey Dog Park Set to Open August 2nd!
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GODFREY - The Village of Godfrey will celebrate their new dog park with a grand opening ceremony next month.
At 10 a.m. on Aug. 2, 2025, community members are invited to Glazebrook Park in Godfrey to check out the dog park, built in memory of longtime Parks Board member Max Heinz. Those who spearheaded the park hope that it serves as a place to remember Max while also providing a great resource for dog owners and their pets.
“I just feel like every destination community has to have these kinds of amenities,” said Beth Heinz, Max’s daughter-in-law. “I want it to be a space where not only the dogs can come but also the people that live in the community can come and know that Max Heinz was someone who spent a lot of time trying to better the Parks Department and different things that he was involved in. This was kind of one of the last things that he was working on achieving, and I’m just happy that we were able to make it happen.”
The park will have a 150-feet-by-150-feet space for dogs under 25 pounds and a 200-feet-by-200-feet space for dogs over 25 pounds. Residents can pay $10 a year for membership, and nonresidents will pay $20 a year. Members will receive a keypad code they can use to enter the dog park whenever Glazebrook Park is open.
You must supply your information and your dog’s vaccination records to be approved for membership. For more information about how to apply, visit the official Parks and Recreation webpage or call the department at 618-466-1483.
Parks and Recreation Director Chris Logan noted that people have been asking for “years and years” if Godfrey would install a dog park. When Beth and her husband, Mike, got in touch with Mayor Mike McCormick and even provided a donation in Max’s name, the park was able to come to life.
“We always had been kicking around the idea of a dog park, but it really came to fruition when Beth got involved,” Logan explained. “The area where it is is just perfect. We were never going to develop that for anything else. It’s a great spot.”
Phase one of the dog park will be celebrated with the grand opening event on Aug. 2. In addition to space for the dogs to run, there will be trash cans, doggy waste disposal stations and picnic tables. Looking ahead, Logan hopes to purchase enrichment toys and structures for the dogs to enjoy.
“Whenever I get some more money through some grants, I’m going to go ahead and get some really nice stuff so dogs can go on ramps, they can run through tunnels, eventually we’ll get some jumps, some platforms. I hear there’s talk of a fire hydrant or two,” he said. “It’s going to be nice. Those sorts of things will be in each area, but there’s also going to be just a great amount of open space if you want to just let your dog off the lead and let them run. They can do that there, too.”
Mike Heinz expressed his appreciation for the Village of Godfrey’s Parks and Recreation Department and his wife Beth’s work to make the dog park possible. He noted that his father always advocated for the community, and he hopes the dog park serves as a great spot to honor him.
“The dog park was something he always wanted,” Mike said. “He was big on things to benefit the community.”
For more information about the dog park, stop by the grand opening on Aug. 2, visit the official Parks and Recreation webpage or call the department at 618-466-1483.
