Donor honored as After Hours Bark Park opens

Janet McCombs had a deep passion for dogs and animals in general, and that passion has led directly to the creation of a new dog playground in Holmes County.

After graduating from Marion Harding High School in 1960, McCombs received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Piano and Flute and then added her Master of Music in Piano Performance and Music History from Cleveland State University. Throughout her career she impacted the lives of many children teaching instrumental music in the Cleveland Public Schools and also giving private lessons. She was a pianist with the Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra and a flutist with the Cleveland Women’s Orchestra.

McCombs shared a similar passion for her dogs, and her passing in September 2022 saw her leave a generous donation to the Holmes County Dog Warden and Adoption Center.

It was on Friday, May 17 that friends, family and community members gathered at the adoption center to honor her and celebrate the grand opening of the new After Hours Bark Park, a recreational park designed for dogs to play and exercise.

In dedicating the playground, Lynn Seikel, longtime friend of McCombs for six decades, read a prayer from St. Francis, who loved all living things and respected all creation, much like her friend did.

Jon Beam, Holmes County dog warden, then dedicated the park, first paying honor to McCombs for her passion for dogs, for his office and the community.

“We really wanted to honor Janet, and one way I thought Janet could continue to give to these dogs daily was to get exercise equipment in her name,” Beam said of the equipment, which bears McCombs’ name. “We are forever grateful for this equipment. The volunteers love it. Our dogs love it, and soon I hope our community will grow to enjoy it too.”

The park will be open to the public after hours, hence the name, and although there will be a nominal annual fee for those wishing to bring their dogs there, Beam said it will provide a wonderful opportunity for area folks to bring their dogs to exercise and play.

Applications for the annual $25 fee are available at the dog warden’s office. More information can be found on their website at www.holmescountydogwarden.com.

Seikel spoke glowingly about her friend, noting over the years they owned nine dogs including Mr. Wiggles, a dog they had adopted from the adoption center.

Beam said it was a perfect match, and they provided Mr. Wiggles with a perfect home.

“This is what we loved; we loved our dogs and cats,” Seikel said. “There wasn’t anything about animals that we didn’t enjoy, and this place is awesome, and I know Janet is looking down from heaven right now smiling. I know she is happy with this.”

Beam said picking out the pieces of equipment for the park was a blast and said creating a dog playground that would serve both their dogs and people’s dogs from the community was always the goal.

“(PuppyScapes) had a lot to choose from, and I tried to not only pick equipment that looked good but that the dogs would like using,” Beam said, noting tunnels, climbs and jumping equipment will give dogs a balance of exercises.

Beam said sharing the message of what they do at the department, the many services they have there and the community support they receive plays a key role in them being able to serve the community better.

“We’re here to help the community, help the dogs and help some of these dogs find good homes,” Beam said. “And one thing we want to do is give back to the community, so opening this park up to the community was an important step for us.”

The ribbon-cutting ceremony was actually a leash-cutting ceremony, and Seikel was joined by McCombs’ sisters Merrill Bender and Nan Klempnauer.