Conoco Dog Park Opens March 4 in Wichita Falls With Leprechaun Parade

Wichita Falls is staging a Saint Patrick’s-themed Lucky Leprechaun Dog Parade and ribbon cutting to mark the official grand opening of Conoco Dog Park at 1200 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard at 3:00 p.m. March 4, the City of Wichita Falls Parks and Recreation Department announced in its Feb. 27 release.

The afternoon will include a dog parade and contest with a best-dressed pup prize, plus dog treats, pup-friendly games and other prizes. Adoptable pets will be available on-site courtesy of Wichita Falls Animal Services, and organizers have encouraged entrants to dress their dogs in green for the Saint Patrick’s-themed event.

The new Conoco Dog Park features separate small- and large-dog areas and is surrounded by 1,400 feet of six-foot-tall chain-link fence. The procurement documents called for construction that included a concrete slab, and the city described the site this way: "The facility includes water fountains and fun play features made with local pups in mind so that they stay active and entertained during their time in the outdoors."

Funding for the project came from Community Development Block Grant dollars. The construction contract with Claw Contractors out of Seymour was handled under BID 25-10, which the city posted June 8, 2025 with an addendum on 06/17/2025 and a bid closing of 7/1/2025 at 1:30 p.m. Reporting from 2025 set the project cost at $64,500 against an original budget of $75,451, with remaining funds earmarked for additional amenities.

Claw Contractors completed the primary construction work and the City’s Park Maintenance Staff applied finishing touches ahead of public access. Local radio outlets reported the city "officially unveiled that the new park was open for business back on January 16th," meaning the park has been usable since mid-January even though the formal ribbon cutting is set for March 4.

Staff acknowledged one immediate operational shortfall: no dedicated parking was included in the original plans. "It just wasn’t something that was part of those original plans when this was first funded. We will certainly look at purchasing land if we need to extend back. We will look at those little other vacant spots that we have and see if we could potentially use some other [Community Development Block Grant] funding in the future for parking in this area," Parks Director Kalee Robinson said. Assistant City Manager Blake Jurecek added that "staff hopes to reflect the success of the dog park at Lake Wichita."

The Conoco project gives Wichita Falls a second park on top of the original dog park at 5205 Fairway Boulevard, which opened in 2011, and is intended to activate the underutilized Conoco Park near North MLK Boulevard and Burkburnett Road. The city will host the grand opening ceremony, including a ribbon cutting, at 3:00 p.m. March 4 at Conoco Park, 1200 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.