Have you noticed the new stickers atop the dog mitt dispenser stations in Hillcrest? Now, when you find a dispenser empty you can use the QR code to notify the HRA and dog mitt coordinator that it is empty. We are working to put identification numbers on each box, but until then, if you find a box empty, please describe the location of the box and we will get it filled. We can Thank Justin and Mandy Harris for the stickers. It’s going to be a game changer! But providing dispenser station stickers is only a very very small piece of how they are helping Hillcrest dog lovers.Justin and Mandy Harris opened Hounds Lounge in Little Rock in 2016 to provide overnight stays, day care and “spa” days for dogs in an indoor/ outdoor off leash space on Riverdale Dr. Not only are they a top notch and beloved business, but they also are outstanding Hillcrest community partners. In 2023, Hounds Lounge began providing dog mitts for the 22 dog mitt dispenser stations in Hillcrest. This is no small feat!! Prior to Hounds Lounge providing dog mitts, the Hillcrest Residents Association paid for the dog mitts. Long term volunteer and dog mitt coordinator, Kim Abbott said that between 2017 to 2022 the HRA ordered 396,000 mitts a year. That is 50,000 dog mitts per year! The next time you are in Hounds Lounge please say a BIG thank you to Justin and Mandy. Providing dog mitts to Hillcrest is an enormous gift!Providing dog mitts also takes a team of volunteers. Kim Abbott heads a team of 13 volunteers who keep tabs on and refills their assigned dispenser stations in Hillcrest: Lisa Lawson, Jim Metzger, Keith Nigro, Michael Keddie, Mac Huffman, Lee & Paula Johnson, Cliff Anderson, Rita Henry, Tommy Jameson, John & Kristianna Pittenger, Rob King, John Harris and Annette Owens. Thank you ALL! Without you, our streets, our parks and the bottoms of our shoes would not be nearly as clean.We currently need volunteers to help dispense dog mitts. If you are interested in volunteering please email president@hillcrestresidents.com.
