Josh Miely, president of Struthers Unleashed, gives a little love to Charlie, his 3-year-old mini goldendoodle, at the Marjorie Hartman Struthers Unleashed Dog Park.

STRUTHERS — Howie has been unleashed from a life of misery to a new lease on life.

“He was starved and had all kinds of worms, and his fur was falling out,” Sarah Syrjanen of Struthers, said. “He was in a really bad, bad situation.”

Syrjanen, who recently moved to the area from Tallahassee, Florida, was referring to the pit bull dog she has been fostering since mid-June. Beforehand, the animal had suffered severe neglect and malnutrition before being taken to the Animal Welfare League, then rescued.

For the last few months, however, Howie’s fur has been filling in and he has gained a healthy amount of weight, as Syrjanen decides whether to place him for adoption or keep him.

Either way, the dog will enjoy ample opportunities to run and exercise, courtesy of the new Marjorie Hartman Struthers Unleashed Dog Park, which opened Saturday afternoon at Grimm Nebo Field on East Haywood Boulevard to a ribbon-cutting ceremony and great fanfare.

The Marjorie Hartman Family Foundation funded nearly the entire project, estimated at $50,000. Other contributors included Struthers Rotary and private donors.

“Marjorie would love this,” Thomas J. Lodge, the foundation’s trust advisor, said, referring to the late Hartman, a staunch animal lover and self-employed dog groomer who had worked closely with Dr. Samuel Segall, a local veterinarian who provided for abandoned animals that needed veterinary care or grooming.

The Marjorie Hartman Family Foundation was established shortly before Hartman’s death in 2008 to help fund and promote animal care and welfare in the Mahoning Valley.

This summer, Howie has brought added joy to Syrjanen, who described him as “sweet, cuddly and loves to be around people.”

“He loves people; he doesn’t want to be alone and is very playful, despite what he’s been through,” she added.

The new dog park carries extra importance and emotion for Syrjanen because it also contains a wooden bench dedicated to Gilly, her dog that died in March from meningitis at age 8.

The park was two years in the making, Josh Miely, president of Struthers Unleashed, which was largely behind the project, noted. Struthers Unleashed is a community founded nonprofit organization that lists as its primary mission enhancing the city with such a facility to allow dogs to exercise and interact with one another in a safe and secure environment.

For his part, Miely didn’t come to Saturday’s three-hour funfest alone. Accompanying him was Charlie, a 3-year-old mini goldendoodle he got as an 8-week-old puppy.

“He’s a happy puppy. He’s very playful and enjoys other dogs and is very sociable,” Miely said, adding, “I’m wholeheartedly excited for our city and specifically for Nebo.”

The 7,000-square-foot, fenced-in dog park features a large L-shaped section for large dogs as well as a 25-foot-by-70-foot enclosure for small ones, he noted.

Visitors to the free dog park are required to ensure their pets wear current licenses and have proof the animals have undergone a rabies vaccination.

Mayor Catherine Cercone Miller said that community engagement regarding the Discover Struthers initiative revealed a dog park was a top priority, and it has had city officials’ strong support and backing.

“This is something we’re so proud to have in Struthers,” Cercone Miller said, adding her praise to Struthers Unleashed, the Marjorie Hartman Family Foundation and residents for making the project possible.

Also bringing the dog park to fruition was the collaboration of area businesses such as AH Restoration LLC, Austintown Fence, The Turd Bandit, Struthers High School construction classes, Christ Lutheran Church of Struthers, Clever Marketing Agency, EndTime Grafix LLC, JPC Group Construction, Municipal Signs & Sales and S&T Engraving & Awards Inc.

While the park is officially open, construction is not quite finished. The only additions are to have a washing station and adjoining waterline installed, along with a bronze plaque to memorialize and honor Hartman, Lodge noted.

Providing the entertainment was Tyler Guerrieri of Struthers, who also plays electric guitar with Guys Without Ties and Decades, two area bands.

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