HONOLULU(KHON2) — Kolowalu Dog Park in Kakaako has been open since early February.
“It’s a great park and the neighbors really really love it,” Kakaako resident Ron Freed said.
Freed brings his dog Ziggy to the park every day.
“It can be very busy, some times of the day it’s empty, other times its crowded, but its definitely well used,” he explained.
“It’s such a great place for the community to get together, make new friends and get exercise,” Kakaako resident and dog owner Thomas Ogawa added.
While the dog park has become a vibrant gathering spot, acts of vandalism are causing problems.
“This is not just a prank, this is a crime,” Hawaii Community Development Association Executive Director Craig Nakamoto clarified.
He said the problems started even before the park opened.
“We’ve had the gates being vandalized, we’ve had sprinkler heads being ripped out. and just other things going on at the park,” he said.
The price tag to repair the recent damage, according to Nakamoto, is around $20,000.
He said they have notified police, security are watching more closely and they’re also considering adding surveillance cameras to prevent future crimes.
“If these acts of vandalism keep occurring, we might be forced to just close the park,” Nakamoto explained.
But he said he doesn’t want to do that.
HCDA is closing Kolowalu Large Dog Park May 12 through June 9 to make necessary repairs. The section of the park for small dogs will remain open.
Nakamoto said they are working with their landscapers to figure out how to maintain the grass with as little impact to the public as possible.