The four-legged residents of Lake Prince Woods retirement community now have a new place to play with the recent opening of Wagging Tails Trail dog park.

Approximately 25 dogs share homes with their owners at the pet-friendly retirement community. The shaded, fenced area has benches, running water and lots of space to run and play.

“Pets not only bring love and joy to their owners, but studies have shown there are therapeutic benefits to owning or regularly being with pets,” Executive Director Judy Raymond said.

In 1999, the “Journal of the American Geriatrics Society” published a study that demonstrated senior adults living on their own who have pets tend to have better physical health and mental well being than those who don’t have pets.

Caring for pets — walking, grooming and feeding them, and playing with and petting them — needs to be done on a daily basis and requires some physical activity on the part of the owner. Pets also help people keep to a regular daily routine.

“The dog park will also be a great place for socialization for our residents,” Raymond said. “I’ve already heard people talk about arranging “play dates” at the park for their pets to get together with other pets.”

Preceding the opening of the dog park, the Rev. Dr. Woodie Rea, the community’s director of spiritual life, held a Blessing of the Animals service. United Church Homes and Services Foundation funded the dog park.