Bully Breed Awareness Day

April 10th, 2011

The Barkyard will be the venue for a Bully Breed Awareness event, April 30, 2011. For more details, contact action@animalallieswny.org.

Please note: The Small Dog Area will be closed during this event.

Bully Breed Awareness Poster

April Stools Day 2011

March 28th, 2011

Is it April already?!

This year’s April Stools Day will be Sunday, April 3rd at 10:00 a.m.

We can use all the help we can get, so if you can spare some time to help keep the Barkyard a fun, safe, and clean place to visit, please stop by!

2011 Saint Patrick’s Day Parade

March 1st, 2011

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We’ll be in the 2011 Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, on Sunday, March 20th at 2pm on Delaware Avenue. We hope to win Best Community Float again!

If you or your dog would like to be on our float, please contact us for more information.

State of the Bark

February 5th, 2011

The Board of Directors of Buffalo Off Leash Area Inc., operators and overseers of the Barkyard, would like to thank everyone for their support over the past year. 2010 was a terrific year for the Barkyard. We saw a great increase in our user base and people continue to come from near and far to use our beautiful park.

Representatives from the Barkyard marched through slush in the first annual Powder Keg Parade, and participated with our pooches in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, taking home the trophy for Best Community Float. Watch for us again in this year’s parade. We continued to be a part of the many wonderful events around town, including the marketplace at Pride Buffalo, as well as two fundraising events for the SPCA of Erie County: Wine & Wags and Paws in the Park.

2010 was also the beginning of the Barkyard’s 1st annual Mitzvah Day—a park project day shared between the folks at Westminster Presbyterian Church and Temple Beth Zion. Last year they painted the old benches and the new kiosks—they’ll be back again this year for another project.

The Barkyard also held a dog bite prevention seminar at the Falk School as part of our education program, and held a successful fundraiser at the neighboring Buffalo Yacht Club. Most excitingly, we spoke with representatives from Hamburg , Lewiston and Chautauqua County regarding their interest in creating off-leash areas in their communities. I am very happy to say that Hamburg has already broken ground and Lewiston is up and running!

We are only a few weeks into the New Year and we have exciting news to report: We now have a shelter for inclement weather. It will keep us cool in the summer and warm (or at least less cold) in the winter. We have big plans for the interior, to be announced later this spring.

The Barkyard is also excited to launch our Friends of the Barkyard membership program. To continue to run the park and make necessary improvements, we need your help. Please remember that we are a not-for-profit group that runs solely on donations from pet-loving individuals like yourself. We can’t do it alone, so please consider becoming a Friend of the Barkyard.

Thank you again for continuing to make Buffalo’s first off-leash area a great success.

Joseph Lonzi
President

Buffalo Off Leash Area, Inc. (The Barkyard)

Party for the Barks 2010

October 13th, 2010

Party2010

Come support The Barkyard at our third annual Party for the Barks, Wednesday, November 3, 2010, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. We’re excited to hold this event so close to the park, at the Buffalo Yacht Club. Enjoy delicious hors-d’oeuvres, beer, wine and more. Enter basket raffles to win some fantastic items! Single admission is a donation of $25, or pre-sale two for $40. Admission includes one complimentary serving of beer or wine.

Buy your tickets now!



Back to Stool 2010

September 17th, 2010

back-to-stool-2010

The Barkyard will be conducting our yearly cleanup, “Back to Stool,” on Sunday, September 26th at 10:00 a.m. The park will be open, but volunteers will be roaming the park cleaning up any overlooked “deposits.” You’re welcome to come volunteer. For more info, feel free to email us at volunteer@thebarkyard.org, or simply meet us there!

Join Us at Paws in the Park

September 10th, 2010

The Barkyard will have a booth at this year’s Paws in the Park, September 11, 2010 at Beaver Island State Park. Stop by, say hello, and pick up a sticker or a t-shirt to show your support!

Best Place to Hang Out with Your Dog in WNY

July 14th, 2010

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Buffalo Spree voted the Barkyard as the 2010 Best Place to Hang Out with Your Dog. The award was presented at the Best of WNY 2010 Party (benefiting the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Upstate New York Chapter) on June 24, 2010 at Shea’s Performing Arts Center in Buffalo, NY.

Join Us at Run for Rover

July 9th, 2010

Run for Rover

Run for Rover

The Barkyard will be on-hand at the Pet Emergency Fund’s Run for Rover, this Sunday, July 11th, at LaSalle Park. Visit us at our booth during the event, or at the Barkyard afterward. We’ll be available to answer your questions, and we’ll have Barkyard T-shirts and stickers available. See you then!!

Get Fit and Sit Event A Success

May 2nd, 2010

We would like to thank everyone who came out and enjoyed a wonderful Sunday at The Barkyard. Everybody had a fantastic time watching demonstrations, doing some “pawlates” (pilates for dogs), and trying out the dog-agility equipment.

National Pet Week

April 25th, 2010

Join the Niagara Frontier Veterinary Society and Pet Emergency Fund at the Barkyard, to celebrate the National Pet Week theme of “Pets & People Healthy Together,” Sunday, May 2, 2010 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Canine Sports Complex will be presenting agility demonstrations, and there will be games and prizes for pets (and their people, too)! This is a free event. For more information, contact the Niagara Frontier Veterinary Society. You may also download the event flyer (PDF).

Winner of Best Community Float

April 9th, 2010

ParadeWinner

The decision to enter the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and create a float was all done within a week. Needless to say, we were very excited to hear that our entry was selected by the Parade Committee as the Best Community Parade Float! The Barkyard would like to thank the sponsor of the Parade, the United Irish American Association, as well as the trophy sponsors. The Bishop Timon Trophy, awarded in memory of Catherine M. O’Brien, was sponsored by the Friends of Mark Schroeder. Unfortunately, the dogs couldn’t be with us to accept the beautiful trophy, but it will be on display at the Ellicott Small Animal Hospital for all to sniff and see!

Saint Patrick’s Day Parade

March 13th, 2010

The Barkyard's Float (in progress)

Join us as we start a new yearly tradition!

The Barkyard will be in the Buffalo Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, come out and show your Irish pride!

April Stools Day 2010

February 27th, 2010

April Stools Day, April 11, 2010

It’s time for some Spring cleaning, so we’re looking forward to seeing some friendly volunteers willing help us out. This year, cleanup will take place on April 11, at 10:00 a.m.

As we did last year, join us at The Barkyard at LaSalle Park, bring some plastic bags, your scooper or shovel, and help us keep the park a safe and enjoyable place for dogs and humans alike.

Your kindness will be rewarded with slobbery kisses, wet noses, and perhaps some coffee and donuts!

To volunteer for April Stools Day—or to learn other ways to help The Barkyard—contact us or send an e-mail to volunteer@thebarkyard.org.

Park Construction: Water Lines

November 7th, 2009

As you may have noticed, there is construction taking place in both sides of the Barkyard. We are very excited to report that the Buffalo Water Authority (managed by American Water) is installing water lines for fountains which are expected to be in place before Summer 2010.

Work is taking place as weather permits, so we can not predict when either (or both) areas of the Barkyard may need to be temporarily closed. We appreciate your patience, and ask that you pardon any inconvenience (and mess) while these improvements are in progress.