Cody, the mayor of Sunrise Park.
Ann Mason
They arrive every evening in ones or twos accompanied by their humans and slowly make their way around the park, greeting fellow canines and their doting guardians.
The Mayor of Sunrise Park, Cody, a Chow mix, holds court beneath the kiosk receiving polite greetings from his subjects who, in turn, are granted a treat or two from his human companion.
Sunrise Park provides an important meeting place for residents with dogs as well as those who just enjoy being with them. Many of the regulars have health issues and depend on more spry friends to exercise their pets. For many people, this is the only time they venture out of their homes and they gain obvious benefits from the fresh air, exercise and camaraderie the park provides. Park regulars have collectively mourned friends and spouses as well as grieved the loss of beloved companion animals. They have joyously welcomed new puppies and rescue dogs and happily watched them wrestle and chase on the grass with their pals.
As there is no dog park on the Eagle’s Nest side, Sunrise Park is providing a vital outlet for pets and people who enjoy nightly trips there to savor interspecies contact. The kiosk is a place where residents can sit and enjoy conversation and monitor the activity around them as well as have access to the restrooms and water fountain. When the weather becomes too hot to walk on the sidewalk, they need to shelter under the shade trees.