{"id":179667,"date":"2026-03-30T14:05:37","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T14:05:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/179667\/"},"modified":"2026-03-30T14:05:37","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T14:05:37","slug":"hundreds-of-dogs-have-their-day-in-bark-in-the-park-in-central-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/179667\/","title":{"rendered":"Hundreds of dogs have their day in Bark in the Park in Central Park"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"Dogs\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Dogs gathered with their owners for Bark in the Park at Central Park.<\/p>\n

Photo by John Enright\/Riney Canine Health Center<\/p>\n

It was a very different kind of dog day afternoon.\n<\/p>\n

On a slightly chilly, but sunny Sunday, around 400 dog owners and dogs united in Central Park for a fun run and walk that raised money for Cornell University\u2019s center researching canine diseases and treatments.<\/p>\n

While \u201cDog Day Afternoon\u201d played just blocks away on Broadway, dog owners and dogs further uptown took to Central Park to stroll, run and raise money to battle canine diseases through cutting-edge research.<\/p>\n

People and their pets took part, complete with numbered pinnies, in the second annual Cornell Richard P. Riney Canine Health Center Bark in The Park 5K non-competitive, non-timed fun run and walk.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had just about every breed, age and size dog you could think of,\u201d said Heather Hughes, assistant director for communications and marketing for the Animal Health Centers at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t restricted to any breed.\u201d<\/p>\n

A procession of dog owners, such as Julie Jankowski and her poodle Ralphie Lauren, who wore a red Bark in the Park bandana, streamed into the park.\u00a0
\n\"a<\/a>Ralphie Lauren had a great day at Bark in the ParkPhoto by Julie Jankowski\n<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was our first 5K,\u201d Jankowski said. \u201cWe decided last minute to register. If I\u2019m running a 5K, I might as well do it with my dog.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many took pictures, such as Jankowski, wearing a T-shirt beside her dog, who was wearing a bandana.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was lots of educational in formation,\u201d said Dr. Nicole Buote, the center\u2019s director near tents set up in front of the bandshell. \u201cThe canine health center\u2019s mission is to fund research that allows dogs to live longer, healthier and happier lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

The center, named for Richard P. Riney following initial support from the Riney Family Foundation in 2021, has already funded more than 50 research projects with this as a signature fundraising event also designed to build awareness.<\/p>\n

They also take part in the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show and fundraise online through their website.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cWe surpassed the number this year,\u201d said Hughes, who noted about 350 people attended their first Bark in the Park. \u201cWe had people from all over. A large number were from the New York City metropolitan area.\u201d<\/p>\n

Buses came down from Cornell carrying veterinarians and others who worked on the event, where swag was handed out for people and pets at what organizers viewed as a prime location for pet owners and pets.<\/p>\n

\"Dogs<\/a>Dogs met each other at Bark in the Park.Photo by Claude Solnik<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a large number of Cornell alumni in this area,\u201d Hughes continued. \u201cWe felt it was an optimal location to encourage participation from Cornell alumni and a populated area, close to Cornell University and Cornell University veterinary specialists.\u201d<\/p>\n

After a brief introduction on the bandshell stage, dogs in coats and some in baby carriages, headed off on a loop.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we do at Cornell couldn\u2019t happen without your support,\u201d Dr. Buote said before the 5K began with a little fun and fundraising. \u201cSo we really want to thank you and let\u2019s get started.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Center has funded research into oral cancer, gall bladder disease and other canine conditions in an effort to boost R&D into canine disease.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s one of the most devastating cancers,\u201d Dr. Buote said of oral cancer. \u201cThe treatment has been life altering surgery to remove part of the jaw. We have researchers looking into less invasive treatments.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other events also go under the \u201cbark in the park\u201d moniker, including Mets games where dog owners are welcomed, Cornell\u2019s \u201cbark in the park\u201d mixes fun and fundraising for this center.<\/p>\n

\"Dogs<\/a>Dogs met each other at Bark in the Park.Photo by Claude Solnik<\/p>\n

The New York Mets\u2019 Bark in the Park games, for instance, are billed as \u201cbaseball in Queens with your best friend,\u201d including a chance to attend games with dogs, as well as a pre-game dog parade.<\/p>\n

Mets games in their Bark in the Park program are April 7 against the Arizona Diamondbacks, April 22 against the Minnesota Twins, April 28 against the Washington Nationals and May 12 against the Detroit\u00a0 Tigers.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe New York Mets\u2019 Bark at the Park brings together two great loves: baseball and dogs,\u201d is the way the Mets describe this duo on their website.\n<\/p>\n

Participants at Cornell\u2019s Bark in the Park, meanwhile, donated $50, while passersby made donations and otherwise found out about the center\u2019s work.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople loved it,\u201d Dr. Buote said of the event where trophies were handed out not in various categories. \u201cThey loved seeing cute, happy tail-wagging dogs.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Dogs gathered with their owners for Bark in the Park at Central Park. Photo by John Enright\/Riney Canine…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":179668,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[72589,4709,59262,6530,75,84,83,9,24,63],"class_list":{"0":"post-179667","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-manhattan","8":"tag-bark-in-the-park","9":"tag-central-park","10":"tag-cornell","11":"tag-dogs","12":"tag-manhattan","13":"tag-manhattan-headlines","14":"tag-manhattan-news","15":"tag-new-york","16":"tag-new-york-city","17":"tag-nyc"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179667","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=179667"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179667\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/179668"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=179667"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=179667"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=179667"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}