PROSPECT PARK — Overheated pooches getting grilled by the late summer heat can cool off once again at Prospect Park's dog beach.
The pup-friendly pond southeast of the park's Ninth Street entrance has reopened after a two-month renovation, the Prospect Park Alliance announced Thursday.
Though algae that is toxic to dogs was discovered earlier this summer in the park's lake, none has been found at the dog beach and the swimming hole is safe for canines to use, an Alliance spokeswoman said Thursday.
The remodeling of the dog beach replaced worn pavement with stone slabs from upstate New York quarries and weeded out invasive species and replaced them with native plantings.
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The renovation also removed an old chain-link fence in the pond and replaced it with less intrusive underwater fencing designed to keep canines away from the turtles, ducks and other aquatic creatures that share the waterway.
The popular canine hangout closed for the makeover in July and was originally slated to reopen in spring 2017, but workers completed the remodeling early.
"Dog Beach is a treasured community resource, and off-leash hours are a unique resource for Brooklyn’s dogs and their owners,” said Sue Donoghue, president of the Prospect Park Alliance. "We commend our in-house design staff, whose hard work meant that we were able to improve this amenity and return it to public use quickly."
The beach's refurbishment was part of a larger $2.6 million project that also includes the restoration of two nearby ball fields. Funding was provided by the Brooklyn Borough President's office, City Council members Brad Lander and Stephen Levin, and the City Council's Brooklyn delegation, according to the Alliance.
