Dogs on the Windward side of Oahu now have an off-leash park of their own.

The city Wednesday held a Hawaiian blessing for the opening of the long-awaited dog park — Windward Oahu’s first off-leash dog park — at Kahua o Waikalua Neighborhood Park in Kaneohe.

Several dogs then took their first romp at the new park, which has restrooms, picnic tables, benches clustered beneath the shade of monkeypod trees, and drinking fountains for both humans and canines.

Making the dog park a reality is the culmination of more than a decade of efforts involving coordination among various stakeholders, including the nonprofit Windward Dog Park Hui, Bay View Golf Course and several city agencies.

The Honolulu Department of Environmental Serv­ices transferred the land to the Department of Parks and Recreation to make the dog park possible.

“It feels surreal,” said Janine Tully, Windward Dog Park Hui president. “It’s taken so long, there have been so many hurdles and now we have this beautiful 3-acre park.”

The Windward Dog Park Hui, first organized in 2015, has been advocating and fundraising for a fenced, off-leash dog park on the Windward side for a decade. The hui officially became a nonprofit in 2016, but community efforts stretch back as far as 2006, she said.

Tully said “it’s been a long journey” but that the outcome is worth it, and thanked hui board members who remained committed “through thick and thin.”

She also thanked City Council member Esther Kia‘aina for pushing the project to the finish line.

Kia‘aina appropriated $250,000 to the project, which, along with in-house work from DPR staff, went to the installation of fencing and irrigation at the park and renovations of the comfort station.

There were several hurdles to overcome, according to Kia‘aina.

The first was the completion of a public-access easement to the park between the city’s pre-treatment facility and Bay View Golf Course. The second was the realignment of Bay View’s seventh hole to deter errant golf balls from landing in the park.

Bay View Golf Course officials supported the park by agreeing to realign their seventh hole and providing public access into the park through their course.

“Kahua o Waikalua Dog Park is Windward Oahu’s very first off-leash dog park, and a long-awaited addition to our community,” said Kia‘aina in a statement. “It provides a safe, dedicated space for dogs to run, play, and socialize, while giving pet owners a place to connect, build relationships, and foster a stronger sense of community. Parks like these are about more than recreation — they enhance our quality of life and ensure our public spaces reflect the needs of our residents and four-legged friends.”

Tully said the new dog park is “a place to talk story.”

“It was to provide the community with a great space where you can come and talk story, and I think Kahua o Waikalua Dog Park provides that,” she said. “And also to preserve greenery in our islands. I think it’s a win-win situation. We get a dog park and provide green space.”

The park is at the makai end of Kulauli Street in Kaneohe. It is the city’s 10th off-lease dog park. DPR said plans for more off-leash dog parks on Oahu are in the works.

The park will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. It will be closed 7 to 11 a.m. Thursdays for maintenance.