Tuscaloosa gives dog owners plenty to bark about in April

Tuscaloosa's reputation as a dog-friendly town is growing, with Puppy Palooza set for April 20 at Midtown Village and a night for pooches hosted by the University of Alabama baseball team coming up April 23.

Earlier this month, the Tuscaloosa Association of Realtors hosted Bark in the Park in the Will May Dog Park at Sokol Park.

The annual event included food trucks, dogs available for adoption, lots of pet-themed vendors, a K-9 demonstration, a pet parade, T-shirts for sale and more.

Bark in the Park is a fundraiser for the Will May Dog Park, which opened in 2013 as the first enclosed dog park in Tuscaloosa County.  Admission to the April 6 event was free, but donations were accepted for the upkeep, maintenance and improvement of the dog park.

The Will May Dog Park at 5901 Watermelon Road features fenced-in areas for small dogs and large dogs, along with a training yard. The park is open from 6 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. daily, except Thursday mornings when the park is closed for maintenance until noon.

Donations to the park can still be made at www.tcpara.org/donate.

Puppy Palooza

Puppy Palooza is scheduled for 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. April 20 at Midtown Village, 1800 McFarland Blvd. E.

"We are thrilled to host Puppy Palooza for the third year in a row," said Hollyann Bemis, marketing associate at Crawford Square Real Estate Advisors, in a news release. "It's a fantastic event that brings our community together to celebrate our four-legged friends."

The event is a benefit for Metro Animal Shelter, which will have adoptable dogs on site.

This year, Puppy Palooza will feature more than 20 vendors, along with live music and activities for kids and activities for dogs.

There will also be a K-9 splash zone sponsored by the Tuscaloosa Kennel Club and Pet Supplies Plus..For more information, go to midtownvillagetuscaloosa.com/events.

UA's Bark at the Park

On April 23, the University of Alabama baseball team will host Bark at the Park at Sewell-Thomas Stadium during the Crimson Tide's game against Samford University.

The game will feature a special $15 ticket package that includes admission for a fan and one canine friend, an Alabama baseball chew toy and access to the "dog zone" area in Section AA, BB, A and B. Additional tickets in this package cost $2.

The special "Bark at the Park" ticket package is limited to 250 fans.

Season ticket holders who want to bring their dog can do so with valid proof of their dog's vaccinations through April 30. UA students in the right field terrace are also welcomed to bring their dogs, using their activity card to swipe in.

Each dog will be required to have proof of vaccinations and only one dog per person is permitted. Fans must also sign a waiver for their dog before entering the stadium.

The stadium will also have two designated grass areas for dogs to do their business: on the grass hill along the first base line and behind the batter's eye in center field.

First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. For more details or to purchase tickets, go to www.rolltide.com.

Reach Ken Roberts at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Dog days of April: Tuscaloosa hosts pooch-friendly events