That's the day the world's first state-of-the-art doggie playground opens in Van Cortlandt Park, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony promptly at 1:00 p.m.. Parks Commissioner Henry Stern, assisted by his dog, Boomer will cut the ribbon at a ceremony attended by community leaders; celebrity dog trainer Bash Dibra, the driving force behind the playground; and a playful pack of celebrity dogs.

A joint effort of Pets, People & Parks, Friends of Van Cortlandt Park; and the New York City Parks Department, the doggie playground features an enclosed free-play dog run with trees and grass, as well as benches for people. The main attraction is an obstacle/agility course with hurdles, hoops, tunnels, crawl spaces and fences, self-contained within the playground. Dogs are allowed unobstructed playtime both on the obstacle course and in the "free-play" area.

"In an urban environment, pets and their people need a safe place to play," says Bash Dibra. "The Parks Department has been remarkably receptive to those needs." The project was developed after a four-year successful Pets, People & Parks campaign, which sponsors an increasingly popular annual Pooch Picnic. According to Dibra that campaign made city officials realize how much nature and pets enrich our daily lives.

"It's a tough city", says Parks Commissioner Henry Stern, "and dogs have to stay fit, just like people. If we can give our four-footed friends a chance to strengthen their muscles and paws, then their two-legged companions will stay fit chasing after them.