By Monty Siekerman
The new Ada Dog Park has a mascot. A cat!

Who says dogs and cats don’t get along? Oftentimes, when dogs are playing in the park, the Rettig cat next door wanders across the stone drive to the park to checkout the dogs who are there.

The cat rubs against the fence and the curious dogs romp over to see the cat. They spy each other, rub noses through the wire fence, and become friends.

Here is some information about the new dog park for those who have recently moved to town, especially students who live in apartments with dogs as pets:

The park is large—the length of a football field. It is divided into two sections—one for small dogs and one for large dogs.

It is off-leash so that dogs can run and play, get exercise, and socialize.

The park has a shelter, water, benches, and several trees have been planted.

It is located on East Lehr Avenue in the far north part of War Memorial Park. Turn east at the Church of Christ on Main Street.

The busiest times (if you want your dog to play and socialize) are 9-10 a.m. and about 7:30 p.m. Maybe one dog will show up, or there could be 10 or more romping together.

The Ada Dog Park Association led the planning and fundraising. About $45,000 was raised in the past year from groups and individuals. An opening ceremony was held June 23.

Association leaders include Cathy Cole, Ken Lauria, Chris Keiser, and Jimmy Wilson.

Last year, there were 1,400 dog tags sold in the 45810 ZIP code, indicating that there are a lot of dogs in Ada and Liberty Township. Now they have a safe place to play with each other.

Photo: The Ada Dog Park mascot says “Hi” to Neo, a Siberian Husky, and Abby, a Golden Retriever, on Thursday morning.