"I've always found that dog parks are the thing that really helps me find community," Covington Commissioner Tim Downing told LINK nky on October 6, as the city cut the ribbon on the K-9 Ernie Memorial Dog Park in Hands Pike Park. Downing first pitched the park. He said that when he had a dog, he went to parks like this one "to be able to commune with my neighbors."
In under four years Covington has added three dog parks, each built into a different neighborhood park. The newest one, which LINK nky called the city's "third and southernmost dog park," gives South Covington what the area around Ninth and Philadelphia streets and the Eastside already had, a dedicated place to let a dog run close to home.
Three Parks, Three Neighborhoods
Here are the basics side by side, from oldest to newest.
| SFC Jason Bishop Memorial Dog Park | Austinburg Neighborhood Park dog park | K-9 Ernie Memorial Dog Park | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where | 847 Philadelphia St., next to Kenny Shields Park | East 15th Street and Eastern Avenue | Hands Pike Park, off Hands Pike, South Covington |
| Opened | Early 2023 | Part of the 2024 park redevelopment | October 6, 2026 |
| How it was paid for | Not published | $20,000 donation from Rizzo Bros. Painting Contractors | $40,000 in the city's FY2027 budget |
| Separate small and large dog areas | Yes | Not published | Yes |
| Hours | Dawn to dusk | City parks rules apply | Closes at dusk with Hands Pike Park |
Each dog park was added to a neighborhood that already had a park. How each one got there explains why the three look the way they do.
The Philadelphia Street Park Set the Template
The SFC Jason Bishop Memorial Dog Park came first. It sits at 847 Philadelphia St., next to Kenny Shields Park at Ninth and Philadelphia streets. LINK nky covered the ribbon-cutting in late 2022 and mentioned the decorative fencing around it. The city gives the opening as early 2023.
The city's listing for the park includes separate areas for large and small dogs, water stations, a dog-waste station and seating. It also lists the park as free and open dawn to dusk. That listing dates from around the opening, so it describes how the park was set up and may not reflect later changes. Even so, the setup matters. A split between big and small dogs, water and benches became the standard the next two parks were measured against, and the city's announcement for the newest park lists nearly the same features.
The Eastside Park Came With a Whole Redevelopment
The second dog park didn't arrive as a stand-alone project. It was one piece of a full makeover of Austinburg Neighborhood Park at East 15th Street and Eastern Avenue. That plan started in 2021, when Covington Parks and Recreation staff held "vision" events and asked the Eastside neighborhood what it wanted the park to be.
In October 2023 the city used $300,000 from a federal Community Development Block Grant to seek construction bids. According to the city's March 2024 announcement, the work list covered new and repaired sidewalks, repaved basketball courts, a driveway and parking area, new playground equipment, seating for the FC Cincinnati soccer mini pitch, a new shelter house, an information kiosk and a dog park.
The dog park money came from a neighbor. Then-Parks and Rec Manager Ben Oldiges said a $20,000 donation from Rizzo Bros. Painting Contractors, a business located nearby, made it possible. In its January 2025 look back at the year, the city noted that the east side had gotten a new dog park.
The city hasn't posted a layout for the Austinburg dog area the way it has for the other two. Expect a neighborhood-park dog run inside a park that also has a playground, ball fields and a picnic shelter. Don't expect a stand-alone facility.
South Covington's Park Came Out of the Budget
The third park took a more direct route. Downing pitched it, and the city's proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget set aside $40,000 to build a South Covington Dog Park. The city's opening announcement says the Board of Commissioners made the funding a priority during that budget process. The project was led by the Public Works Department and the Parks and Recreation Division.
The city's announcement lists dedicated spaces for small and large dogs, water fountains and benches. Those are the same basics the Philadelphia Street park started with. The dog park closes at dusk along with the rest of Hands Pike Park. If you're putting it into a map app, sources give two addresses. The NKyTribune lists the dog park at 1200 Hands Pike, and the city's park list puts Hands Pike Park at 1233 Hands Pike. Both point to the same park off Hands Pike.
The ribbon-cutting had one guest who fit right in. Bruno, the dog of Board of Commissioners member James Toebbe, showed up in LINK nky's opening-day photos.
Who Ernie Was
Two of Covington's three dog parks carry memorial names. The newest one is named for Covington Police K-9 Ernie, a German Shepherd who partnered with Specialist Michael V. Lusardi. Ernie joined the department in 2012 and served about eight and a half years.
His name is also on a state law. Ernie was shot twice on duty in 2015 and recovered. Afterward, Lusardi and Kenton County Commonwealth's Attorney Rob Sanders worked to change Kentucky law so that assaulting a police K-9 would be a felony whether or not the animal survived. The change took effect in 2017 and became known as "Ernie's Law." LINK nky reports that a 2018 crash Ernie survived led to the first felony charge under it, which made Ernie both the law's namesake and the first dog it protected.
Lusardi cut the ribbon himself. "He was a great dog, great partner," he said at the ceremony, adding that Ernie was "a fairly challenging dog to train and work with."
The Same Rules Apply at All Three
Because all three parks fall under one city ordinance, a dog that knows the routine at Philadelphia Street will find the same expectations on Hands Pike. Covington's code sets these rules for every city dog park:
- Dogs are leashed when entering and leaving.
- Owners stay with their dogs and keep a leash on hand.
- Dogs respond to voice control.
- Waste is picked up right away.
- Any hole a dog digs gets filled.
- Aggressive dogs aren't allowed.
- Visitors must be at least 16 to enter alone, and children under 13 need an adult with them.
- Parks are open dawn to dusk and may close for maintenance.
The age rule is the one most likely to surprise a household that sends a teenager out with the dog after school. Under the ordinance, a 15-year-old can go but can't go alone. This summary is general information and not legal advice, so check the linked code or ask the city's Parks and Recreation Division about your own situation.
Past the Fences, the Leash Stays On
Outside the three dog parks, the same ordinance allows dogs in Covington's city parks unless a sign says otherwise. They must be on a leash, and the handler needs to carry something to clean up after them.
That covers the city's longer walks. Devou Park has both paved and natural trails, and the Licking River Greenway Trail is also a city park facility. The leash rule applies on both unless posted signs say otherwise.
With Hands Pike Park added, the closest city dog park for a South Covington household is now on Hands Pike instead of up on Philadelphia Street or East 15th Street.
If your dog's routine has started to shape where in Covington you want to live, or you're weighing a move to a new part of the city, Missy Bricking and the team can help you sort out what matters on your daily walk and how it fits with the rest of your plans. You can learn more about the city on our Covington neighborhood page. Whenever you're ready, Let's Connect.
