Kea'au Shelter's Bark Park

Or call (808) 966-5458 or email keaau@hihs.org for more information.

• Mary
  Apr 3, 2023
  KEA'AU BARK PARK IS ONLY OPEN WHEN CONVENIENT FOR THOSE WHO WORK AT THE SHELTER

  The Bark Park is a great place to socialize your dog and/or just let him or her run and get some exercise off-leash.
  They advertise being open from 8-10 AM and3-5 PM, 7 days a week. Nothing is further from the truth. They are open when someone on the Humane Society Staff happens to remember to unlock the gate and/or is there and available to do so. QUITE OFTEN, the gate is locked when we arrive at 3 or 4PM to run the dogs. There is no note on the facility letting the public know that they will not be open that day or during those hours. The waste of time, gas, wear-and-tear and having an unnecessarily disappointed pup in the car is the result of the inability of the Shelter Employees or Admin. to provide a calendar of days the Park will be open, the days it will be closed. It's a simple request. Just get a 2023 calendar and mark the "open" days and XX -out the days the Park will be closed. The dog owners who use the park can mark their own calendars so the trips are not wasted.
  Emergencies come up and that is understood. However, taking a moment to post a "Sorry we had to close today" would be appreciated.
  The employees who ARE at the shelter when the gate is locked(during advertised access times) often will dodge into a building to avoid a dog owner who wants to ask if they can open the Park. A few of the employees will accommodate a request to open the gate, but often nobody is in sight and they make sure they don't have to talk to those wanting to use the park.
  It's not astrophysics: Either provide this resource and let the public know the schedule or don't provide this resource.

• Michael
  Dec 28, 2022
  A bit sad.

  About twenty minutes from downtown Hilo. Limited hours in the morning for small dogs. Large dogs have am and pm hours, but it’s not very big and right next to the shelter so prepare for a lot of barking from the kennels. My dogs reacted to the many dogs howling and barking and were wary of going into the park area. I believe the shelter is doing a good job saving lives but it was not a relaxing experience for us or our dogs and not worth the drive. However, it’s the only off leash place I could find on this side of the Big Island.

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